Setaria leonis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 30–60 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 4–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; paucilateral; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 2–5 cm long; tip with blunt extension. Rhachis subterete; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like; extension 0.2–2 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; 1.7–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -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. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2 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.