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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Setaria macrostachya

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 60–120 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 2–4 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades 15–20 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; interrupted; loose; truncate or rounded at the ends; 10–30 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; puberulous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 10–20 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 per spikelet; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.3 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; 3–5 -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 barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

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