Digitaria ischaemum (Schreber) Muhlenberg subsp. ste-wartiana (Bor) Tzvelev.

Annual. Culms tufted, slender, decumbent at base, ascending, 15–30 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades up to 6 × 0.5 cm, glabrous, base subrounded, margins scabrous, apex acuminate; ligule 1–1.5 mm. Inflorescence subdigitate; racemes 2–3, 4–5 cm; spikelets ternate; rachis ribbonlike, broadly winged, midrib triquetrous; pedicels terete, scabrous, tips cupuliform. Spikelets elliptic, 1.8–2 mm, glabrous; lower glume usually absent; upper glume ca. 4/5 as long as spikelet, hyaline, translucent, glabrous, 3-veined, broadly obtuse; lower lemma purplish, as long as spikelet, 5-veined with 3 central veins close together and outer 2 marginal, veins connected at tip; upper lemma purplish brown at maturity. Anthers ca. 0.5 mm. Fl. and fr. summer–autumn.

This seldom collected species is allied to Digitaria ischaemum, but differs in its glabrous spikelets and delicate, rounded upper glume. It may prove to be a high-altitude variant of D. ischaemum when better known.

This species is used for forage.

Mountains; 2000–3000 m. Xinjiang, Xizang [Kashmir].