Setaria megaphylla (Steud.) T.Durand & Schinz

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Clump-forming perennial up to 300 cm high

Morphology Stem

Stems stout and erect or slender and radiating outwards to form a leafy tuft with emergent flowering shoots

Morphology Leaves

Leaves broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, conspicuously pleated, sometimes falsely petiolate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to lanceolate, 10–60 cm long, with short projecting, ascending or appressed densely spiculate branches, the rhachis puberulous; bristles 3–15 mm long, often inconspicuous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly ovate to elliptic, 2.2–3.5 mm long; lower glume 1/3–1/2 the length of the spikelet; upper glume 1/2–3/4 the length of the spikelet; lower floret male or barren; upper lemma smooth or obscurely rugose, often shiny, becoming light brown.

Distribution

N1 tropical Africa and Arabia southwards to South Africa, also in tropical America and India

Ecology

Altitude above 1700 m.

Note

Typically a robust plant, but variants of more slender habit and shorter stature, and with a tendency towards a male lower floret have been segregated as S. plicatilis. To what extent these differences are environmentally controlled is impossible to say, especially from herbarium material, but it seems that recognising them as species criteria is perhaps overemphasising them.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Coarse perennial up to 3 m. high

Ecology

Marshy places in forest.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Tall perennial forming large clumps; culms 1–3 m. high, stout (5–10 mm. basal diameter, rarely less) erect.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, 15–80 cm. long, 10–110 mm. wide, conspicuously plicate, sometimes falsely petiolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to lanceolate, 20–60 cm. long, spire- or pagoda-like, with short stiff densely spiculate branches projecting laterally or ascending, sometimes the lower branches longer and flexuous, the rhachis puberulous; bristles 3–10 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly ovate to elliptic, 2.2–3(–3.5) mm. long, acute (rarely somewhat rostrate or with the lemmas unequal, but then less than 3 mm. long); lower glume 1/3–1/2, the upper 2/3–3/4 the length of the spikelet; lower floret sterile, its lemma firmly membranous, as long as the upper lemma, with or without a palea; upper lemma smooth or almost so, often shiny, becoming light brown.

Habitat

Shady places in and around forest; 200–2300 m.

Distribution

K4 K6 K7 P T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 tropical and South Africatropical Americaa few records from India

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial, often forming large clumps.

Morphology Culms

Culms 0.5–3 m. high and 2–10 mm. in diam. at the base.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf laminae 5–110 mm. wide, broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, conspicuously plicate, sometimes falsely petiolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 10–60 cm. long, linear to lanceolate, the branches short (occasionally the lowest long and flexuous) and ascending close to the rhachis or projecting laterally like a pagoda; bristles 3–15 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.2–3(3.5) mm. long, narrowly ovate to elliptic, acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Inferior glume 1/3–1/2, the superior 1/2–3/4 length of spikelet.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Inferior lemma firmly membranous, as long as the superior. Superior lemma usually smooth and often shining, sometimes rugose below, rarely rugose throughout, becoming light brown.

Inferior

Inferior lemma firmly membranous, as long as the superior.

Superior

Superior lemma usually smooth and often shining, sometimes rugose below, rarely rugose throughout, becoming light brown.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial; culms slender (2–3 mm. basal diameter), radiating outwards or geniculately ascending to form a leafy clump 0.5–1 m. high, with emergent flowering culms up to 1.5 m. high; nodes glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, 10–60 cm. long, 5–30 mm. wide, conspicuously plicate, sometimes falsely petiolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to narrowly lanceolate, 10–30 cm. long, with short branches ascending or appressed to the puberulous rhachis; bristles 3–15 mm. long, often inconspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly ovate to elliptic, 2.5–3.3 mm. long, acute; lower glume 1/3–1/2, the upper 1/2–3/4 the length of the spikelet; lower floret sterile or sometimes ♂, its lemma firmly membranous and as long as the upper lemma, its palea sometimes reduced; upper lemma smooth or obscurely rugose, often shiny, becoming light brown.

Habitat

In forest shade; 900–2400 m.

Distribution

K1 K4 K6 T1 T2 T3 T6 T7 U1 U2 U3 U4

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Coarse perennial up to 3 m. high

Ecology

Forest margins.