Setaria palmifolia
Setaria villosissima
palmgrass
hairyleaf 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.
40-100 cm.
villous distally, margins ciliate;
ligules about 1 mm, densely ciliate, hairs white;
blades 15-30 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, both surfaces villous.
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.
10-20 cm, loosely spicate;
bristles usually solitary, 10-20 mm.
3-4 mm, elliptic, acuminate.
2.8-3 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 1/3 as long as the spikelets, broadly ovate, 3-veined;
upper glumes nearly equaling the spikelets, 5-7-veined;
lower lemmas equaling the upper lemmas, 5-veined;
lower paleas about 1/5 as long as the upper paleas, lanceolate;
upper lemmas finely and transversely undulate-rugose basally, striate and punctate distally;
upper paleas similar, ovate-lanceolate.
= 54.
= 54.
Setaria palmifolia
Setaria villosissima
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 villosissima is a rare species that grows on granitic soils in southwestern Texas and northern Mexico. The villous sheaths and blades and large spikelets of S. villosissima aid in its identification. A.S. Hitchcock's (1951) report of Setaria villosissima from Arizona is based on misidentification of a specimen of S. leucophila (Reeder 1994).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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USDA Plants Database
