Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.

Summer annuals, forming loose, dull green to purplish tufts, ± creeping and rooting at lower nodes. Leaf-sheath submembranous, striate, light green, with few to numerous tubercle-based hairs. Ligule 0.5–1 mm, membranous, glabrous, truncate, erose. Leaf-blade (1.5)–3–6.5 cm × 3–9 mm, soft, narrow-lanceolate, rounded at base, flat, glabrous, or with long fine hairs; margins minutely scabrid, rather abruptly narrowed to acute tip. Culm (15)–20–30–(115) cm, ascending to erect from prostrate base, nodes loosely hairy, internodes glabrous. Racemes (2)–3–6–(8), (3.5)–5–15–(20) cm, slender, digitate or subdigitate, finally spreading; rachis 3-angled, winged, 0.7–1 mm wide, scabrid on angles; pedicels 3-angled, angles scarcely scabrid. Spikelets 2.5–3 mm, in pairs, ovate to oblong-elliptic, subacute, green to purplish, close-set, unequally short-pedicelled. Lower glume 0.2–0.5 mm, a minute ± triangular rim, rarely with a few hairs, upper 1–1.5 mm, to ½ length of spikelet, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, membranous, with fine hairs near margins. Lower floret: lemma = spikelet, 7-nerved, nerves minutely scabrid, a band of fine hairs just inside margin; palea minute. Upper floret: lemma = spikelet, grey-brown, firm, glabrous, acute, margins hyaline, enfolding palea; palea similar to lemma in texture but slightly smaller; anthers 0.7–1 mm; stigmas purple or brown; caryopsis 1.5–2 mm, oblong.

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