Setaria flavida (Retz.) Veldkamp

synonyms: Paspalidium distans, Setaria distans, Panicum caespitosum, Paspalidium caespitosum, Paspalidium radiatum


yellow paspalidium


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Setaria = "bearing bristles" [Latin] refering to the bristles of the inflorescence
Species etymology: flavida = "pale yellow" [Latin] refering to the spikelets
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1937

Map

 Distribution of Setaria flavida in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Setaria flavida Inflorescence
Setaria flavida Inflorescence
Setaria flavida Inflorescence

Plant

Setaria flavida Plant
Setaria flavida Plant

Habit

Setaria flavida Habit

Spikelets

Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets
Setaria flavida Spikelets

Description

Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 30-70(-100) cm long; 2-4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparse; extravaginal. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths without keel, or keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 5-15 cm long; 1-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate. Inflorescences: Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-10; borne along a central axis; distant; unilateral; 0.5-3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7-15 cm long; glabrous; tip filiform. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate; extension 1-2 mm long. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels reduced to a stump; 0.25-0.5 mm long; tip discoid. Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acute; 1.8-2.2 mm long; falling entire. Fertile Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acute; 1.8-2.2 mm long; falling entire. Glumes: Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate to oblate; clasping; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute. Florets: Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; sulcate; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.8-2.2 mm long; indurate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface granulose; rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate. Palea surface granular. Flowers: Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Distribution: Asia-temperate: eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and north-central.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Available at https://powo.science.kew.org )