Setaria intermedia

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; weak; 15–100 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–10 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; interrupted; 3–12 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis hispidulous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 3–10 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1–4 in principal whorl; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2 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; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; without grooves; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; pallid, or light brown; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface rugose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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