Setaria scandens

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar pilose. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–15 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; dense; 3–10 cm long; 0.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; with scattered hairs and pubescent.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 3–5 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1–3 per spikelet; flexible; retrorsely scaberulous; retrorse above, antrorse below; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 1.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green; 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; mid-green; 5 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

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