404 



WEEDS AND USEFIjL PLANTS. 



of Millet— the v/hole multitudinous group are regarded as little better 

 than mere weeds ; — though none of them, so far as I know, are particu- 

 larly obnoxious or diflQcuit to expel by judicious culture. Those here 

 described, are inserted merely as samples of a numerous and somewhat 

 variant family. 



29. SETA'EIA, Beauv. Bristly Fox-tail Grass. 



[Latin, Seta, a bristle ; from the involucre-like bristle of tlie spikclets.] 



Spikelets as in Panieunj, awnless, but with the short 'peduncles produced 

 beyond them into solitary or clustered bristles resembling awns. Infio- 

 rescence a dense spiked panicle or apparently a cylindrical spike. Annuals : 

 introduced from Europe, and are all naturalized weeds, except the last, 

 which is occasionally cultivated. 



1. S. glav/ca, Beauv. Spike cylindric, tawny yellow ; bristles 6-10 

 in a cluster, much longer than the spikelets ; paleae of the perfect floret 

 transversely rugose. 



Glaucous Setaria. Fox-tail Grass. 



i2ooi annual. CicZ??i 2- 3 feet high, sometimes branching, often several from the same 

 root, smooth. Leaves 6-12 or 15 mches long, somewhaS glaucous, lance-lmear, keeled, 

 slightly scabrous, with a few long slender hairs at the base ; sheaths striate, smooth ; 

 ligule short, fringed or beard-like. Spike 2-4 inches long, rather slender and quite cylin- 

 drical ; rachis pubescent. Bristles scabrous upwards, becoming tawny or orange-yellow. 

 Siaminatefioret sometimes wholly abortive or neutral. Perfect fioret plano-convex, — the 

 palecB very firm and traversed by horizontal undulate wrinkles. 



Cultivated grounds; stubble fields, &c.: introduced. Native of India and Continental 

 Europe. Fl. August. Fr. September. 



065. This usually makes its appearance, in abundance, among the 

 stubble after a wheat crop, — and is often seen in pastures, orchards, &c., 

 when not kept down by the promotion of a more valuable growth. 

 Cattle refuse the herbage, if better can be had ; and the plant is alto- 

 gether worthless, — except thsit poultry (especially turkeys) are fond of 

 stripping the spikes of their seeds, in the latter part of summer. 



2. S. viridis, Beauv. Spike green, sub-cylindrical or oval-oblong, more 

 or less compound ; bristles fev/ in a cluster, much longer than the spike- 

 lets ; palese of the perfect floret longitudinally striate, punctate. 

 Green Setaria. Green Fox-tail. Bottle Grass. 



Root annual. Culm 1 - 2 or 3 feet high, branching near the base, rather slender. Leaves 

 3-6 or 8 inches long, lance-linear, flat, somewhat scabrous, minutely serrulate on the 

 margin ■ sheaths striate, smooth, pilose on the margin ; Ugiile fringed or beard-like. Spike 

 1 - 3 inches long, somewhat compound or a little enlarged in the middle, often nearly 

 cylindric ; raxhis hirsute with short hairs. Bi-istles scabrous upwards, green. SteriU 

 floret usually wholly abortive or neutral, — the upper palea very small. PalecB of the per- 

 fect floret smooth, puncticulate, striate lougitudiaally, with a slight transverse rugosity 

 perceptable under a lens. 



Cultivated grounds, pastures, fee: introduced. Native of Southern Europe. Fl. July 

 -August. J*^-. August -September. 



Obs. This species is also naturalized to a considerable extent, and is 



