Setaria distantiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 30–80 cm long; wiry. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 5–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; appressed; paucilateral; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long; tip with blunt extension. Rhachis subterete; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like; extension 1 mm long. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; obtuse, or acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate. Palea surface rugose.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.