Setaria palmifolia
Setaria sphacelata
palmgrass
African bristle grass
1-2 m.
50-150 cm, flattened;
nodes glabrous.
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.
glabrous;
blades 15-50 cm long, 4-10 mm wide, flat, rather lax.
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.
5-25 cm long, 4-8 mm thick (excluding the bristles), densely spicate;
bristles 5 or more, 3-6 mm, usually orange to purple.
3-4 mm, elliptic, acuminate.
2.5-3 mm, elliptic-oblong.
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 as long as the spikelets;
upper florets staminate;
upper glumes Vi-A as long as the spikelets;
lower lemmas equaling the upper lemmas;
lower paleas equaling the upper paleas, broad;
upper lemmas finely and transversely rugose;
upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas.
= 54.
= 36, 54.
Setaria palmifolia
Setaria sphacelata
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 sphacelata is native to tropical Africa, but it has been found at a few scattered locations in the Flora region, often near a port. Clayton (1979) recognized five varieties of Setaria sphacelata. Those most likely to be introduced into the United States are Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb. var. sphacelata and S. sphacelata var. aurea (Hochst. ex A. Braun) Clayton, with var. aurea differing from var. sphacelata in having fibrous basal leaf sheaths and upper glumes that are often 3-veined.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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