GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Setaria grandispiculata

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; woody. Culms 80–150 cm long; woody; 7–9 -noded. Culm-internodes glaucous; distally pruinose, or glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–5 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5–3 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets. Central inflorescence axis 8–16 cm long; puberulous. Rhachis angular; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate; extension 2–4 mm long. Spikelet packing abaxial.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Involucre composed of bristles. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 in principal whorl; 1 per spikelet; 3–4 mm long. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–1 mm long; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; scarious; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; scaberulous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4 mm long; indurate; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate; 2-keeled.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Simon 1993.

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