Setaria rosengurttii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 35–70 cm long; 3–6 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 12–25 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; interrupted; 6–15 cm long; 0.5–0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.2–1.3 cm long; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; with scattered hairs, or glabrous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 5–15 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 per spikelet; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2.4–2.6 mm long; 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 acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–10 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 0.7–0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Baldrini 1995.

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