Setaria longiseta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 50–150 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7–40 cm long; 1–6(–10) mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 7–25 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches scaberulous; with scattered hairs.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 2–12 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 in principal whorl; flexible; smooth, or antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acute; 1.5–2.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; sulcate; 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.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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