| Synonyms: |
Digitaria setivalva Stent Digitaria swynnertonii Rendle Panicum milanjianum Rendle |
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| Description: |
A rhizomatous perennial, occasionally forming stolons, rhizomes extensively branched, covered by hairy cataphylls; base covered by glabrous or pubescent leaf sheaths, rarely villous or slightly swollen. Culms 50–200 cm., ascending to erect, glabrous, nodes dark and glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous to hairy. Ligule up to 2 mm. long, truncate. Leaf lamina 8–30 × 0.3–1.2 cm., linear, glabrous to loosely hairy. Inflorescence composed of 2–18 digitate or subdigitate racemes, 5–20 cm. long, erect to patent. Rhachis triquetrous, winged, up to 0.7 mm. wide, smooth to scabrous with scabrous margins. Pedicels 2-nate, 0.5–2 mm. long, subterete to triangular, scabrous, somewhat widened at the apex. Spikelets (2.1)2.5–3.2(3.5) mm. long, lanceolate. Inferior glume short, triangular or truncate. Superior glume 1/2–2/3 of the spikelet, oblong-triangular, 3-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs fine, whitish. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, 7-nerved, nerves scabrous or nearly smooth, appressed hairy, with or without bristle hairs. Superior lemma nearly as long as the spikelet, oblong, acute, pale brown, greyish or purplish tinged. |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | milanjiana: from Mt Mulanje in Malawi |
| Habitat: | Miombo woodland, disturbed savanna, saline grassland, weed in plantations and roadsides. |
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| Worldwide distribution: | From Ethiopia, Uganda and DRC south to Namibia and South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
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| 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) Page 175. (Includes a picture). Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 452. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Pages 35 - 36. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 36. As Digitaria setivalva 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. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 134. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 146. 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. |