Setaria perrieri

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute; outer margin hairy. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 25–35 cm long; 4–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pilose above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 12–15 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; pilose. Panicle branches pilose.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 8–10 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1–3 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; 3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.3 mm long; 0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 1.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Camus 1994.

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