Setaria palmifolia
Setaria adhaerans
palmgrass
bur bristlegrass, tropical barbed bristlegrass
1-2 m. Sheaths strigose, margins with stiff hairs;
collars hispid;
ligules about 2 mm, of hairs;
blades to 50 cm long, 20-80 mm wide, plicate, tapering at both ends, abaxial surfaces sparsely strigose, adaxial surfaces short pubescent near the base.
25-60 cm.
glabrous throughout;
ligules 1-2 mm, of hairs, white;
blades usually less than 10 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, flat, broad basally, abaxial surfaces conspicuously strigose with papillose-based hairs, tapering abruptly at the apices;
bristles solitary, about 5 mm, retrorsely scabrous.
to 40 cm, open;
branches 6-10 cm, loosely flexible, axes scabrous;
bristles solitary, usually present only below the terminal spikelet on each branch, occasionally below non-terminal spikelets, about 5 mm.
2-6 cm, verticillate, green to purple;
rachises retrorsely rough hispid.
3-4 mm, elliptic, acuminate.
1.5-2.2 mm.
1/2 as long as the spikelets, obtuse, 3-4-veined;
upper glumes nearly equaling the upper lemmas, 7-veined, acute;
lower lemmas exceeding the upper lemmas, 5-veined, apices involute;
lower paleas nearly equaling the lower lemmas in length and width;
upper lemmas obscurely transversely rugose, yellow, apiculate.
about 1/2 as long as the spikelets, obtuse, 1(3)-veined;
upper glumes nearly as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined;
lower lemmas equaling to slightly exceeding the upper lemmas;
lower paleas less than 1/2 as long as the spikelets, scalelike;
upper lemmas finely and transversely rugose;
upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas.
= 54.
= 18.
Setaria palmifolia
Setaria adhaerans
Setaria palmifolia is primarily an Asiatic species. It is a common species in Jamaica, and has been reported from scattered locations around the southern coast of the United States. In the Flora region it is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental for the conspicuous, plicate leaves and large panicles. In Southeast Asia the grains are eaten as a substitute for rice and the tender, thickened shoots as a vegetable.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Setaria adhaerans grows in subtropical regions throughout the world. In North America, it is known from the southern United States, northeastern Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The Californian record may represent a recent introduction.
Setaria adhaerans resembles the temperate S. verticillata, but differs in having shorter panicles, shorter spikelets, glabrous sheath margins, and papillose-based strigose hairs on the blades.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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