Setaria sphacelata* (Schumach.) Stapf
& C.E.Hubb. ex Moss. Kew Bull.
1929:195 (1929).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae.
Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
sphacelatum Schumach., Beskr. Guin.
Pl. 58–59 (1827).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Thonning s.n., Ghana (C).
Recent synonyms:
S. anceps (syn. of var. sericea).
Key references
(books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (266), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (370).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (370).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, short or elongated. Culms erect, 20–300 cm tall.
Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat or
convolute, 10–50 cm long, 2–17 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or scabrous,
glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle linear, 3–50 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1–4 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles. Fertile
spikelets 2-flowered, the lower floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile,
comprising 1 basal sterile florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without
rachilla extension, elliptic, dorsally compressed, 1.5–3.5 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without keels, 3(–5)
-nerved. Upper glume ovate, 0.9–1.8 mm long, membranous, without keels, 3–5
-nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, male, with palea. Lemma of
lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 1–3 mm
long, without keel. Lemma apex mucronate.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific,
North America, and South America.
Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Queensland,
New South Wales.
Western
Australia: Gardner.
Drummond. Queensland: Burke, Cook,
Darling Downs, Moreton, South Kennedy, Wide Bay.
New South Wales: North
Coast, Central Coast,
South-Western Plains.
Notes.
Introduced; tropical and subtropical rain forests, tropical and subtropical wet
sclerophyll forests, dry sclerophyll forests, Brigalow forests, tropical and subtropical
sub-humid woodlands, and semi-arid shrub woodlands. Flowers Dec.-July.
Infra-specific
taxa: var. sericea, var. splendida.
Inflorescence 7–25 cm
long; leaf blades 3–10 mm wide S. sphacelata var. anceps
Inflorescence 20–50 cm
long; leaf blades 10–17 mm wide S. sphacelata var. splendida
