Setaria submacrostachya

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–70 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; antrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous; loose; tapering above; 5–8 cm long; 0.3–0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; pilose.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 9 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 per spikelet; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5–1.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; mid-green and purple; 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; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5–1.7 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Luces 1996.

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