Green Bristle-grass - Setaria viridis
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Species Description
Widespread and fairly frequent in the Southern half of the UK; scattered in the North. A casual introduced from bird-seed, wool shoddy, oil-seed, esparto and grain. Habitat includes: cultivated / wasteland, roadside verges, rubbish tips etc. Growing habit: Annual. Height: Up to 1 m. Flowers: July to November. Other names include: Green Foxtail, Wild Foxtail Millet.
Stace 4:
Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. - Green Bristle-grass.
Annual; culms to 1m; panicles ≤12(17) x 1.2cm, not interrupted; bristles with forward-directed barbs; spikelets (1.8)2-2.5(2.7)mm; upper lemma finely transversely rugose; (2n=18, 36). Neophyte-naturalised; weed of cultivated and waste ground, sometimes naturalised, also casual from wool, birdseed and other sources (rarely soyabeans) on tips, etc.; scattered over British Isles, frequent in South & Central Britain and Channel Islands; warm-temperate Old World.
Key:
- Spikelets falling whole, leaving only pedicels and bristles on rhachis; panicle rarely as much as 15 x 1.5cm, the bristles always much longer than spikelets; upper lemma finely transversely rugose
- Upper glume as long or almost as long as spikelet; spikelets (1.8)2-2.5(2.7)mm; leaves glabrous
Useful Links:
Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora