Poaceae
Setaria

Setaria obscura de Wit

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, sér. 3, 17: 45 (1941)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is KwaZulu-Natal. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 50-100 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-35 cm long; 3-4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 5.5-17 cm long. Primary panicle branches sterile at the tips. Panicle branches terminating in a 5-8 mm long bristle. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 4-4.6 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 4-4.6 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 5 -veined; sulcate; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4-4.6 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma surface unwrinkled. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; cartilaginous.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Paniceae. Gr S Afr 1993.
[GB]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0