Setaria kagerensis

HABIT Perennial; short-lived; mat forming. Culms scandent, or rambling; 60–150 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole, or with a false petiole. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; plicate; 10–30 cm long; 3–17 mm wide; dark green.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches pubescent.

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

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

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 4–5 -veined. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; sulcate; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface unwrinkled. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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