Setaria media

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; spongy. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms prostrate; 90–200 cm long; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 13–25 cm long; 4.5–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 14–24; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 16–36 cm long; flattened; glabrous. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; ciliate on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; turgidly plano-convex; 2.8–3.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; clasping; 0.5–1.1 mm long; 0.2–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1.5–2.9 mm long; 0.5–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 0.8–1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.3–1.9 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Paniceae. Veldkamp 2001.

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