Digitaria ammophila

Shortly rhizomatous perennial. Culms erect, to 60 cm high; base of plant thickened and hairy. Leaves velutinous; blade flat or broadly channelled, 4–15 cm long, 3–7 mm wide, with pale, thickened, often finely undulate margins; ligule truncate, erose, mostly c. 2 mm long. Panicle c. 10–25 cm long, composed of narrow racemes; lower racemes whorled, 5–20 cm long, finally spreading, upper racemes successively shorter. Spikelets 2–3 mm long (not including the dense silky hairs which conceal most segments), mostly paired, on unequal pedicels, the longer pedicel to c. 8 mm; lower glume ovate, c. 0.5 mm long; upper glume 3-nerved, elliptic, as long as the spikelet; lower lemma 5–7-nerved, equal to upper glume, both villous; lower palea vestigial or absent; upper (bisexual) floret subequal to spikelet, lemma elliptic, shortly acuminate, slightly rounded dorsally, smooth or finely striate Flowers Feb.–Apr.