Setaria homonyma

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 25–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades spreading; plicate; 5–25 cm long; 5–35 mm wide; flaccid; light green.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 1–10(–20) cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches secund (2-rowed); pubescent, or pilose, or villous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 5–10 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 in principal whorl; flexible; smooth; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 2–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 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 elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.33–0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface rugose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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