Poaceae
Setaria

Setaria orthosticha K.Schum. ex R.A.W.Herrm.

First published in Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 10: 49 (1910)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to S. Tropical Africa. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 10-150 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base without a false petiole. Leaf-blades 3-30 cm long; 1-8 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 1-16 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches secund; villous. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 2-10 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 1 in principal whorl; rigid (bent); smooth, or antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous, or villous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; obtuse; 1.2-1.7 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; obtuse; 1.2-1.7 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume orbicular; 0.25-0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.66-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; without grooves; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5-1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1-1.5 mm long; indurate; light brown to black; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface rugose.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 10–150 cm. high, ascending.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae not petiolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 1–16 cm. long, lanceolate, with spikelets clustered around the raceme-like primary branches or on short secondary branchlets, the rhachis hirsute; bristles 2–10 mm. long, mostly single, stiffly bent, often hirsute in the lower half, smooth or weakly scaberulous above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.2–1.7 mm. long, broadly elliptic, gibbous, generally obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes obtuse, the inferior 1/4–1/3, the superior 2/3–3/4 as long as spikelet.
Inferior
Inferior lemma not or indistinctly grooved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma finely rugose, golden brown to black. Inferior lemma not or indistinctly grooved.
Superior
Superior lemma finely rugose, golden brown to black.
[FZ]

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
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual; culms 10–150 cm. high, ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear, 3–30 cm. long, 1–8 mm. wide, not petiolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle lanceolate, 1–16 cm. long, with spikelets clustered around the raceme-like primary branches or on short secondary branchlets, the rhachis hirsute; bristles 2–10 mm. long, mostly single, stiffly bent, often hirsute in the lower half, smooth or weakly scaberulous above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets broadly elliptic, 1.2–1.7 mm. long, gibbous, generally obtuse; lower glume 1/4–1/3 as long as the spikelet, obtuse to rotund; upper glume 2/3–3/4 as long as the spikelet, obtuse; lower floret barren, its lemma not or indistinctly grooved, the palea sometimes reduced; upper lemma finely rugose, golden brown to black.
Habitat
In woodland shade; 1000–2300 m.
Distribution
K2 K3 T2 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 U3 through Shaba and Mozambique to Zimbabwe
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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