Setaria leucopila
Setaria verticillata
bristlegrass, plains bristlegrass, streambed bristlegrass, yellow bristlegrass, yellow foxtail
bristly foxtail, bur bristlegrass, hook bristle grass, hook foxtail, rough bristle grass, setaire verticillee
20-100 cm.
30-100 cm;
nodes glabrous.
compressed, glabrous, margins villous distally;
ligules 1-2.5 mm, ciliate;
blades 8-25 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, flat or folded, scabrous on both surfaces.
glabrous, margins ciliate distally;
ligules to 1 mm, densely ciliate;
blades 5-15 mm wide, flat, abaxial surfaces scabrous.
6-15 cm, tightly spikelike, pale green;
rachises scabrous or villous;
bristles usually solitary, 4-15 mm, ascending.
5-15 cm, tapering to the apices;
rachises retrorsely rough hispid;
bristles solitary, 4-7 mm, retrorsely scabrous.
2.2-2.8(3) mm, elliptical.
2-2.3 mm.
about 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 3-veined;
upper glumes from 3/4 as long as to equaling the florets, 5-veined;
lower lemmas equaling the upper lemmas, 5-veined;
lower paleas 1/2 - 3/4 as long as the upper paleas, lanceolate;
upper lemmas apiculate, finely and transversely rugose;
upper paleas similar.
about 1/3 as long as the spikelets, obtuse, 1(3)-veined;
upper glumes nearly as long as the spikelets;
lower paleas about 1/2 as long as the spikelets, broad;
upper lemmas finely and transversely rugose;
upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas.
= 54, 68, 72.
= 18, 36, 54, 72, 108.
Setaria leucopila
Setaria verticillata
Setaria leucopila grows in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is the most common of the perennial "Plains bristlegrasses."
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Setaria verticillata is a European adventive that is now common throughout the cooler regions of the contiguous United States and in southern Canada. It is an aggressive weed in the vineyards of central California. Reports of S. carnei Hitchc. from North America are based on misidentification of this species.
Setaria verticillata resembles the S. adhaerans but differs in having longer panicles and spikelets, sheath margins that are ciliate distally, and blades that are scabrous, not hairy. Setaria verticillata is a more northern species than S. adhaerans, but their ranges overlap in the Flora region.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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