Setaria parviflora

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent, or short; knotty. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–110 cm long. Culm-internodes hollow. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4–1.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2–6 cm long; 0.8–1.4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis scabrous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles. Involucral bristles persistent; 6–11 per spikelet; 1.5–8 mm long; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Pedicels reduced to a stump; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.2–2.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.1–1.4 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.3–1.8 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -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. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.6 mm long; indurate; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface rugose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.2–1.6 mm long; yellow, or brown.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. Africa: Macaronesia, northeast tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Ceyl 1993.

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