Setaria scottii

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent; 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–12 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–12; borne along a central axis; 1–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–14 cm long. Rhachis scabrous on surface; terminating in a barren extension.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 2–5 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 0–1 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; gibbous; obtuse; 2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; clasping; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 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; sulcate; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Hack 1994.

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