Setaria yunnanensis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70 cm long; 1.5 mm diam.; 9 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 5–12 cm long; smooth. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–15 cm long; 4–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; oblong; 4–17 cm long; 0.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 8 cm long; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.2–2.4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; light green and purple; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; light green and purple; 5 -veined; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2.2–2.4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; scabrous. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long; brown. Stigmas purple.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Paniceae. Keng & Yu 1996.

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