GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Setaria nicorae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–100 cm long; 1.5–3 mm diam.; 2–5 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–30 cm long; 4–12 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 6–23 cm long; 1–1.2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 4–12 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 per spikelet; 4–12 mm long; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 2–2.8 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; indurate; yellow; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.2–1.3 mm long. Embryo 0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Penseiro 2004.

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