63 



of the fertile flower twoj the outer larger, cartilaginous ; in- 

 vesting the ripe fruit. 



Separated from Panicum by Palisot de Beauvois, and now generally 

 adopted by British botanists as a distinct genus ; diifering from the 

 latter chiefly in the more compact form of the inflorescence, and in 

 the presence of bristles at the base of the spikelets. These bristles 

 remain attached to the rachis after the spikelets have fallen ; and 

 the generic name, from the Latin seta, a bristle, is derived from 

 this circumstance. The species, about thirty in number, are annual 

 plants indigenous to tropical and warm climates, where several are 

 cultivated for their seeds as a substitute for Millet. Setaria Italica 

 and S, Germanica, Italian and German Millets, so termed from being 

 first known to botanists as grasses of economical culture in central 

 and southern Europe, are among these, and were originally brought 

 from India. ^S. Germanica is largely grown in Hungary as food for 

 horses, being preferred for such purpose beyond all other grasses. 

 In England the genus is little known, the two or three naturalized 

 species being only very locally distributed, and regarded by the 

 farmer as weeds. An objection to them in an agricultural point 

 of view is the lateness of their appearance; but the foliage is 

 succulent and abundantly produced until very late in the autumn, 

 with an equally profuse succession of rapidly maturing and nutri- 

 tious seeds, that are a favourite food of most seed-eating birds, 

 especially those of iS. viridis. 



Setaria verticillata. Rough Bristle Grass. Plate LII. 



Inflorescence interruptedly spicate, cylindrical, with whorled 

 branches. Bristles of the involucre rough, with dechning teeth. 

 Lower, barren flower with a single palea. Outer palea of the 

 fruit nearly smooth. 



Setaria verticillata, Beauvois. Most modem botanists. Panicum 

 verticillatum, Linntmis. E. B. 874 ; ed. 2. 100. 



Not unfrequent as a weed in and about arable- and garden- 

 ground in the vicinity of London and Norwich, but of rare 

 occurrence elsewhere. Stems decumbent at first, a foot and a 

 half to two feet high, smooth, except just below the spike, where 

 it is angular and rough, slender. Spike-like inflorescence two to 

 four inches long ; not always presenting the interrupted or divided 

 appearance arising from its branched composition, dark green or 

 purplish. Occasionally one or two of the lowermost series of 

 branches become separated from those above by the extension of 

 the rachis between them, rendering the interrupted character more 

 prominent. Spikelet clusters shortly stalked. Involucral bristles 



