Setaria verticillata

Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 51: 178. 1812; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 443. 1884; Duthie, Fodder Grasses 15. 1888; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 80. 1897; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 587. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Blatter & McCann, Bombay Grasses 174. 1935; Clayton in Tutin et al., Fl. Europaea 5: 263. 1980; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 173. 1989; Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi f. 239. 1966; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 692. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 821. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 537; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 179; Panicum verticillatum L., Sp Pl. 2: 82. 1762; Pennisetum verticillatum (L.) R. Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 195. 1810.

An annual with loosely tufted culms up to 1 m tall, erect or geniculately ascending, branched from base. Leaf blades linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 5-20 cm x 5-15 mm, flat, glabrous or sparsely pilose, base subrounded, margin scabrous; leaf sheaths compressed, striate, hairy upwards. Ligule hyaline membranous, truncate, 0.5-1 mm, ciliate. Inflorescence a cylindric or oblong densely spike-like 4-10 cm long and 1 cm broad panicle or lobed with short lateral branches, branches very close, terminating in a bristle. Inflorescence axis and rachis shortly hispidulous. Spikelets elliptic-ovoid, 2-2.5 mm long, 2-flowered, subtended by 1-4 involucral bristles; bristles green or brownish, 3-8 mm long, retrosely barbed, tenaciously clinging and often becoming entangled. Glumes unequal; lower glume ovate, ca. 1 mm long, hyaline, acute, faintly 3-nerved; upper glume nearly as long as spikelet, membranous, ovate, boat-shaped, sub-acute, 5-7-nerved. Lower floret: Barren. Its lemma (lower lemma) similar to upper glume, 2-keeled; palea (lower palea) much shorter, ca. 1.2 mm long, +/- narrowly ovate, membranous, hyaline. Upper floret: Bisexual; its lemma (upper lemma) slightly shorter than lower lemma, elliptic-oblong, subobtuse, convex on the back, coriaceous, rugose. Palea (upper palea) similar in texture and as long as upper lemma, elliptic, 2-keeled, faintly rugulose.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to December
Common Names: Bristly Foxtail, Bur Bristle Grass, Bur Grass, Foxtail, Hooked Bristle Grass; Chirchita, Barchitta, Laptuna, Latkaunya (Hindi)