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Descriptions

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

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

Setaria hassleri

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes purple. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 2.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–25 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially, or on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle hirsute above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 5–22 cm long; 0.5–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle axis pilose.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 13–15 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; rigid; retrorsely scaberulous; retrorse above, antrorse below; glabrous. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 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; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. 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 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; indurate; keeled; lightly keeled. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.3 mm long. Embryo 0.9 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Nicora 1995.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lower palea concave.

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