Cenchrus setigerus Vahl, Enum. Pl. Obs. 2: 395. 1806; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 290. 1960; Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi f. 238. 1966; Ramaswamy, Raman & Menon, J. Ind. Bot. Soc. 48: 102. 1969; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 120. 1989; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 658. 2004; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 553; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 245; Cenchrus ciliaris var. setigerus (Vahl) Maire & Weiller, Fl. Afrique N. 1: 342. 1952; C. ciliaris var. setigerum (Vahl) Leeke, Z. Naturwiss. 79: 22. 1907; C. uniflorus Ehr. ex Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 448. 1884; Pennisetum setigerum (Vahl) Wipff, Sida 19: 526. 2001.

Perennial. Culms somewhat bulbous at base, geniculately ascending, 20-85 cm tall. Leaf sheaths keeled, scabrous, hairy near collar; leaf blades linear, finely acuminate, 5-25 cm x 3-8 mm, adaxial surface pilose with long (3-4 mm long) scattered hairs bulbous at base; ligule ca. 0.5 mm, membranous, laciniate. Inflorescence cylindrical, spiciform panicle, stiff, 4-12 mm x 0.6-10 mm; burrs overlapping by about length, rachis scaberulous. Burrs broadly oblong with rounded base, 3-7 mm, subsessile. Each burr with 2-4 spikelets surrounded by involucre. Inner involucral bristles connate for 1/4-1/2 their length forming a tough cupule, flattened free tips narrow triangular, erect, antrorsely scaberulous with a broad green groove on outer face, inner face shortly ciliate; outer involucral bristles very short or almost suppressed, reduced to bristles around periphery of cupule. Spikelets 3.5-4 mm long, 2-flowered. Glumes unequal; lower glume 1/2 spikelet length, ca. 1.75 mm long, ovate, acute, hyaline, 1-nerved; upper glume 4/5 spikelet length, ca. 3.75 mm long, lanceolate, acute, hyaline, 1-3-nerved, 2-keeed. Lower floret: Neuter; its lemma (lower lemma) as long as spikelet, ovate, obtuse, 5 nerved; its palea (lower palea) shorter, oblong, hyaline. Upper floret: Hermaphrodite; its lemma (upper lemma) as long as the spikelet, ovate, cuspidately acuminate, 5 nerved. Upper palea similar but slightly shorter than upper lemma. Lodicules absent. Stamens 3, exserted; filaments long; anthers ca. 3 mm long. Styles 2, connate at base; stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis elliptic to ovoid, dorsally compressed.

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