Setaria cernua

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–40 cm long; 8–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10–30 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 0.5–3 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches terminating in a 3–4 mm long bristle.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 3 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 ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.7 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Herrman 1995.

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