The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Grisebach bristlegrass, Grisebach's bristlegrass

Arizona bristlegrass

Habit Plants annual. Plants annual.
Culms

30-100 cm;

nodes pubescent, hairs appressed.

25-50 cm;

nodes pubescent.

Sheaths

with ciliate margins;

ligules ciliate;

blades to 12(25) cm long, to 10(20) mm wide, flat, hispid on both surfaces.

glabrous, margins ciliate distally;

ligules 1-2 mm, ciliate;

blades 7-15 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, flat, scabrous, abaxial surface conspicuously hispid over the veins with papillose-based hairs, adaxial surface sparsely hispid over the veins;

bristles solitary, 5-15 mm, flexible.

Panicles

3-18 cm, loosely spicate, interrupted, often purple;

rachises hispid;

bristles 1-3, 5-15 mm, flexible, antrorsely scabrous.

5-12 cm, loosely spicate;

rachises scabrous.

Spikelets

1.5-2.2 mm.

1.8-2 mm.

Lower glumes

about 1/3 as long as the spikelets, distinctly 3-veined, lateral veins coalescing with the central veins below the apices;

upper glumes nearly equaling the upper lemmas, obtuse, 5-veined;

lower lemmas equaling the upper lemmas;

lower paleas about 1/3 as long as the lower lemmas, narrow;

upper lemmas finely and transversely rugose;

upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas.

about 1/3 as long as the spikelets, 3-veined, lateral veins coalescing with the central vein below the apices;

upper glumes about 2/3 as long as the upper lemmas, 5-veined, obtuse;

lower paleas equaling the lower lemmas, broad;

upper lemmas very strongly and coarsely transversely rugose;

upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas.

2n

= unknown.

= unknown.

Setaria grisebachii

Setaria arizonica

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; MD; NM; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Setaria grisebachii is the most widespread and abundant native annual species of Setaria in the south-western United States. It grows in open ground and extends along the central highlands of Mexico to Guatemala, usually at elevations of 750-2500 m. The specimens from Maryland were collected on chrome ore piles; the species is not established in the state.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Setaria arizonica is locally abundant in sandy washes on both sides of the Arizona-Sonora border, southwest of Tucson.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 550. FNA vol. 25, p. 552.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Setaria > subg. Setaria Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Setaria > subg. Setaria
Sibling taxa
S. adhaerans, S. arizonica, S. barbata, S. chapmanii, S. corrugata, S. faberi, S. italica, S. leucopila, S. liebmannii, S. macrosperma, S. macrostachya, S. magna, S. megaphylla, S. palmifolia, S. parviflora, S. pumila, S. rariflora, S. reverchonii, S. scheelei, S. setosa, S. sphacelata, S. texana, S. verticillata, S. verticilliformis, S. villosissima, S. viridis
S. adhaerans, S. barbata, S. chapmanii, S. corrugata, S. faberi, S. grisebachii, S. italica, S. leucopila, S. liebmannii, S. macrosperma, S. macrostachya, S. magna, S. megaphylla, S. palmifolia, S. parviflora, S. pumila, S. rariflora, S. reverchonii, S. scheelei, S. setosa, S. sphacelata, S. texana, S. verticillata, S. verticilliformis, S. villosissima, S. viridis
Name authority E. Fourn. Rominger
Web links