Setaria apiculata (Scribn. &
Merr.) K. Schum. Just's Bot. Jahresber. 28: 417 (1902).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Chaetochloa
apiculata Scribn. & Merr., Bull. Div. Agrostol., U.S.D.A. 21: 9
(1900).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: IT: F.J.H. von Mueller s.n., 18??,
Australia: Queensland: Victoria River (US-978059).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Habit. Annual.
Rhizomes absent. Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent, stature
slender to delicate, 25–80 cm tall, firm or wiry. Mid-culm nodes glabrous.
Lateral branches branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous. Ligule a fringe
of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, 8–24 cm long, 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface
smooth or scaberulous or scabrous, glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle linear, 2–5 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled, 1 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 or obovate, dorsally compressed, 3–3.4 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without keels, 3–5
-nerved. Upper glume elliptic or ovate, 2.3–3.8 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, with
palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous,
5–7 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2.5–4 mm
long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma apex mucronate. Anthers 3. Grain 1.5 mm
long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia:
Gardner, Fitzgerald. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf, Victoria
River. Queensland: Burke, Cook, Gregory North, Mitchell, North Kennedy.
Notes.
Differs from S. surgens in spikelet size.
In tropical and
subtropical sub-humid woodlands, coastal grasslands, and tropical sub-humid
grasslands. Flowers Feb.-July.
