Slender Pigeon-grass - introduced (*Setaria parviflora)

Native to temperate South America. Perennial. C4.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Other names: Setaria gracilis.

Slender Pigeon-grass is uncommon. It is an occasional street weed.

Identification:

• the flower cluster is a dense, narrow, cylinder
• bristles rise from the flower stalks, just below the spikelets
• the 1st glume is half the spikelet length, the 2nd glume is longer
• the spikelets have a lower sterile lemma and an upper fertile lemma
• the leaves are flat or folded
• the ligule is a fringed membrane, 0.5-2mm long.

The flowers are clustered into a cylindrical cluster (a condensed panicle) which is about 5mm wide. The lemmas have a pointed tip. Bristles rise from the base of the spikelets. The bristles have have barbs which point upwards i.e. the reverse of barbs on a spear.

Setaria: from seta, a bristle; gracilis slender, gracile.

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