Setaria texana

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–70 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous, or interrupted; loose; tapering above; 2–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches 0.1–0.3 cm long; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; puberulous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 3–10 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 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; 1.9–2.1 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 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 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. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.1–0.5 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.9–2.1 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

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