SETARIA ITALICA AND ITS IMMEDIATE ALLIES 
The plant is usually erect or sometimes slightly geniculate, simple 
or many branched at the base, 3 to 10 dm. tall [depauperate specimens 
sometimes i dm. or even less], the culms fairly stout. The leaves are 
commonly fairly broad and long acuminate, 5 to 30 cm. long, 4 to 15 
mm. broad. The panicles vary in size and compactness sometimes 
being somewhat lobulate and interrupted toward the base, but not 
verticillately so, more or less blunt or tapering at the base and apex, 
I to 15 cm. long^ [usually relatively thick when short], 4 to 14 mm. in 
diameter, the rhachis commonly pilose. The spikelets range in size 
from 1.8 to 2.7 mm. long — most commonly 2.2 to 2.5 mm., — 0.8 to 1.6 
mm. broad. The second glume is commonly as long as the sterile 
lemma, but occasionally is slightly shorter. The setae are variable 
in length, but usually considerably longer than the spikelets and are 
ordinarily green or greenish-yellow, but are sometimes purple-tipped 
or even all dark purple. The fruit is slightly rugulose, generally more 
so than in S. italica. 
Range. — Occurring pretty generally throughout the United States 
and Canada, usually near cultivated land. Found sparingly in Mexico 
and in Brazil — fide Doell. Common throughout Europe, no plants 
seen from Africa or Asia Minor, but in Asia it occurs in Russia, British 
India, China, Japan and Formosa. 
Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. var. ambigua (Cuss.) Coss. in Coss. & 
Dur. Expl. Sci. Alger. 2: 36 (1854): Boiss. Fl. Orient. 5: 443 (1884): 
Beck, Fl. Nieder-Oesterr. 46 (1890) [excl. syn. P. viride var. hrevisetum 
Doell]: Dur. & Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afr. 5: 775 (1894): Halacsy, 
Consp. Fl. Graec. 3: 333 (1904). Panicum viride L. misapplied by 
Desf. Fl. Atlant. i: 58 (1798) [excl. syn.] fide Cuss. Fl. Sic. Syn. P. 
verticillatum b amhiguum Guss. Fl. Sic. Prodr. i: 80 (1827). Setaria 
ambigua Guss. Fl. Sic. Syn. i : 114 (1842) : Lojac. Fl. Sic. 3 : 266 (1909). 
S. verticillata var. ambigua (Guss.) Pari. Fl. Palerm. i: 36 (1845): 
Pari. Fl. Ital. i: iii (1848): Richter, PI. Eur. i : 28 (1890): Brand, in 
Koch, Syn. Deutsch. FL, ed. 3, 3: 2689 (1905). Panicum adhaerens 
Subsp. I P. verticillatum antrorsum A. Br. in Ind. Sem. Hort. Berol. 
1871, App.: 7 (1871). '^Setaria pseudo-verticillata Hort. ex A. Br. 
I. c. 1871, App.: 7 (1871) in syn. 5. glomerata Hort. ex A. Br. 1. c. 
1871, App.: 7 (1871) in syn. Panicum ambiguum (Guss.) Hausskn. 
in Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 25: 345 (1875): Dalla Torre & Sarnth. Fl. 
3 These small panicles are the secondary ones, the primary panicles are rarely 
under 5 cm. long. 
