Setaria restioidea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–150 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–60 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 5–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with evident branchlets on axis. Panicle axis pubescent, or pilose.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets 2–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 2–8 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner on margins; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5–2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: 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.