Setaria pradana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; slender; 50–90 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curled, or flexuous; involute; 15–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; distant; appressed; paucilateral; 0.5–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 15–35 cm long; tip with blunt extension. Rhachis subterete; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like; extension 0.5–2 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; 1.8–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.4 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 -veined; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8 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.