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| Synonyms: |
Digitaria livida Henrard Digitaria nemoralis Henrard |
| Common names: | Common finger grass (English) Moseka (Setswana) Namele (Setswana) |
| Frequency: | |
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| Description: |
A tightly caespitose perennial, often provided with well developed runners; base surrounded by hairy cataphylls and old leaf sheath remnants. Culms 40–120 cm., ascending to erect, glabrous, nodes dark and glabrous. Leaf sheaths scaberulous, glabrous or loosely hairy. Ligule 2–4 mm. long, subtriangular, shortly ciliate. Leaf laminae 5–20 × 0.2–0.4(0.7) mm., linear, flat to involute, minutely scaberulous on both surfaces, often with a few bulbous based bristles near the base, scabrous along the margins. Inflorescence composed of 3–10 racemes, 5–20 cm. long, erect, (2)3–6 together in a inferior whorl, sometimes a few solitary along a short common axis, and mostly 2–4 together in a second, superior whorl. Rhachis triquetrous, narrowly winged, up to 0.5 mm. broad, smooth to scaberulous, with scabrous margins. Pedicels 2-nate, 0.5–2.5 mm. long, subterete to subtriangular. scabrous, broadened at the apex. Spikelets 2.2–3.5 mm. long, oblong. Inferior glume up to 0.5 mm. long, ovate to triangular, sometimes acuminate and ciliate. Superior glume 1/2–2/3 of the spikelet, oblong triangular, 3-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs fine, smooth, acute. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, 7-nerved, nerves smooth or slightly scaberulous, appressed hairy, with or without bristle-hairs. Superior lemma somewhat shorter than the spikelet, oblong, acute, yellowish green to pale brown. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | Miombo woodland, degraded savanna, flood plains and saline marshes. |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Botswana distribution: | |
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| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 13. Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 172 - 173. (Includes a picture). Isaiah, A.M. & Komi, T. (2015). Grasses in the Botswana National Botanic Garden South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Page 12. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 102. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 82 - 83. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 134. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 188. |
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