Plants perennial; rhizomatous, rhizomes short, giving the
plants hard, knotty, much-branched bases. Culms 20-55 cm,
erect, sometimes geniculate, not rooting at the lower nodes. Basal sheaths tomentose; culm sheaths
glabrous or variously pubescent (puberulent, ciliate, or sparsely
hirsute); ligules (0.1)0.5-1(1.5) mm, ciliate; blades 2-5.5
cm long, 2-3 mm wide. Panicles with 3-6 spikelike primary branches
on 6-10(15) cm rachises; primary branches 1-6 cm, not or only
narrowly winged, with spikelets in unequally pedicellate pairs, pedicels
not adnate to the branch axes; shorter
pedicels 1.5-2 mm; longer pedicels 3-4 mm. Spikelets homomorphic,
2.5-3.1 mm (including pubescence), 2.4-3 mm (excluding pubescence). Lower glumes 0.3-1
mm, veinless; upper glumes 2.1-3 mm (including pubescence), as
long as or exceeding the upper florets by no more than 0.5 mm, 3-veined,
densely appressed-pubescent, hairs 0.5-1 mm, white to purple, tapering
or parallel-sided, not spreading at maturity; lower lemmas 2.3-3.1
mm (including pubescence), as long as or exceeding the upper lemmas by
up to 0.5 mm, 5-veined, veins equally spaced, intercostal regions densely
appressed-pubescent, hairs 0.5-1 mm, white to purple, tapering or parallel-sided,
not spreading at maturity; upper lemmas 2.2-2.5 mm,
brown when immature, dark brown at maturity. Caryopses 2.1-3.4
mm. 2n = 36.
Digitaria hitchcockii is an uncommon species of open, dry, gravelly
slopes in southwestern Texas and northern Mexico.