Setaria scheelei

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending; robust; 60–120 cm long. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or hispid; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–2 mm long. Collar pilose. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous to pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; lanceolate; loose; 15–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 0.5–3 cm long; sterile at the tips. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; villous.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 10–35 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1(–3) 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; 2.2–2.5 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 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.5–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Rominger 1994.

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