Setaria pumila (Poiret) Roemer   =Setaria lutescens   Poaceae (Grass Family)   Old World   Yellow Bristlegrass

                                           October Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual with culms branching at base, compressed, spreading or erect, 3-6 dm. long; lvs. flat, with a spiral twist, glaucous, 3-10 mm. wide; panicle 2-8 cm. long, dense, ca. 1 cm. thick; bristles, 4-12, 3-8 mm. long, upwardly scabrous; spikelets 3 mm. long, 1st glume half, 2d 2/3 as long as the striate undulate-rugose fertile lemma; palea well developed; lower floret staminate, lemma 5-veined, tip acute.

Habitat:  Weed in waste places, fields, etc., desert and cismontane.  June-Oct.

Name:  Latin, seta, bristle.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 998).  New Latin, lutescens, clay-yellow.  (Jaeger 145).  Latin, pumilus, diminutive.  (Jaeger 214).  I do not see which characteristic of the plant is smaller than in other listed species.  (my comment).

General:  Rare in the study area having been found only once and this on North Star Beach.  The specimen was found in 1983 before the County began to disc this area on an annual basis.  At this time there was a growth of several years on the sandy flat with Lotus scoparius over 30 inches high and heavy stands of Camissonia cheiranthifolia.  There was also a seep area with cat-tails and grasses. (my comments).      About 125 spp., of warmer regions, particularly Africa.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 998).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 1296; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 999; Roberts 48.

Photo Ref:  Oct-Nov 83 # 7.

Identity: by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 339.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/2/03.