Setaria italica (L.) P.Beauv.
foxtail millet
Rather stout, tufted, wide-leaved annuals. Leaf-sheath light green, submembranous, rounded below to slightly keeled above, glabrous; margins ciliate; some lower sheaths with scattered fine hairs. Ligule ciliate, hairs 0.5-1.5 mm. Collar margins villous, hairs forming a contra-ligule. Leaf-blade (4)-6-15-(20) cm × 4-9 mm, flat, linear-lanceolate, long-tapering, abaxially smooth, adaxially minutely scabrid; margins minutely scabrid, tip filiform. Culm 15-35-(75) cm, internodes ridged, minutely scabrid near panicle. Panicle 5-15 cm × 8-20-(40) mm, dense, cylindric, usually lobed towards base, light green at first; rachis densely short-pubescent, with short-pubescent compound branches, the ultimate minute branchlets bearing 1-4 antrorsely scabrid bristles (4-15 mm) and 2-4 spikelets. Spikelets 2.5-3 mm, persistent except for upper floret. Lower glume 1.5-2-(2.5) mm, 1-3-nerved, ovate, acute or subacute, upper (2)-2.5-3 mm, 5-7-nerved, broad-elliptic, obtuse. Lower floret: lemma 5-nerved, elliptic, obtuse; palea a hyaline rim, or 0. Upper floret shining, becoming yellow to reddish brown or black at maturity and disarticulating from spikelet: lemma = spikelet, crustaceous, ± glabrous, convex, broadly elliptic or oblong; palea of same texture as lemma but somewhat shorter; anthers 0.8-1 mm; caryopsis c. 1.5-2 mm.
N.; S.: scattered. Stony waste land, gardens - from discarded cage-bird seed and seed spillages.
Naturalised.
Origin unknown, but probably derived from European S. viridis.
