Setaria utowanaea

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms slender; 25–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect, or spreading; 10–20 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; distant; appressed; paucilateral; 1–3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 6–12 cm long; tip with blunt extension. Rhachis subterete; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like; extension 2–4 mm long. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular.

Spikelets solitary, or subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile. Involucre composed of bristles; 4 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 0–1 per spikelet.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; dorsally compressed; subacute; 2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -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. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 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 and northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

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