Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Muhl.

Summer annuals, forming loose or compact dark purple-green tufts. Leaf-sheath submembranous, striate, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs on margins, light green, folded. Ligule 1–1.5–(2) mm, membranous, glabrous, ± truncate, erose. Leaf-blade 3–6 cm × 3–5 mm, lanceolate, ± rounded at base, glabrous; margins minutely scabrid throughout with a few long hairs near ligule. Culm 7–20–(30) cm, slender, geniculate-ascending, spreading or prostrate, internodes glabrous. Racemes 2–4–(5), 2.5–10 cm, subdigitate, very slender, spreading at maturity; rachis flat, 0.5–1 mm wide, narrowly winged, sparsely long-hairy at base, margins finely scabrid; pedicels ± 3-angled, rarely flattened, sparsely, finely prickle-toothed. Spikelets c. 2 mm, close-set in pairs or triplets, shortly, unequally pedicelled, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, hairs minute, numerous, swollen-tipped. Lower glume 0, or a minute scarious rim, upper c. 2 mm, ≈ spikelet, submembranous, 3–(5)-nerved, internerves with bands of dense short fine hairs. Lower floret: lemma = spikelet, submembranous, 5-nerved, nerves glabrous, outer internerves sparsely to densely fine-hairy; palea minute. Upper floret: lemma = spikelet, dark chestnut-brown, glabrous, acute, margins wide, hyaline, enfolding palea; palea of similar texture to lemma, margins widened below to enfold caryopsis; anthers 0.4–0.7 mm; stigmas purple; caryopsis c. 1.5 × 0.8 mm, oblong.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]