Setaria barbata Kunth., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: East Indies foxtailgrass, Mary grass, bristly foxtail grass, bristly foxtailgrass, corn grass

French: grosse traînasse, herbe bambou, herbe bassine, herbe tourterelle

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annual, the culms slender, up to 60 cm high; sheaths hairy, the leaf blades narrow, lanceolate, 7.5-25 cm long, about 4 cm broad, the branches ascending, 0.5-2.5 cm long; spikelets alike, oblong to ovate, 2.5-3 mm long, 2-flowered, the upper floret perfect, awnless, each usually subtended by a single bristle about 10 mm long"  (Smith, 1979; pp. 350-351).

"Habit: Annual; caespitose. Culms 10-150(-200) cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; plicate; 5-30 cm long; 5-20(-30) mm wide; dark green. Inflorescence: Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 3-25 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base; sterile at the tips. Panicle branches pubescent, or pilose. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; 1-15 mm long. Involucral bristles persistent; 6-8 in principal whorl; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 2-3.2 mm long; falling entire. Glumes: Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25-0.33 times length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.66-0.8 times length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-9 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse. Florets: Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 times length of spikelet; membranous; 7-veined; without grooves, or sulcate; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2-3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea involute; indurate. Palea surface rugose" (GrassBase).

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "a moderately common grass occurring from sea level to about 200 m, often sprawling or scrambling on shrubs in thickets, forest clearings, plantations, and along roadsides in damp, shaded places" (Smith, 1979; pp. 350-351). In New Caledonia, "mauvaise herbe introduite depuis longtemps mais peu commune" (MacKee, 1994; p. 62).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical Asia, Africa and America (Smith, 1979; pp. 350-351).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Voucher cited: DA 988
Fiji Fiji Islands	Ovalau Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Voucher cited: DA 1365
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Vouchers cited: Smith 8124, DA 8939, DA 8873, DA 8902
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Vouchers cited: DA 3660, DA 5691, DA 9631
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Mbalavu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Vouchers cited: Smith 1422, DA 10209
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 350) Vouchers cited: Degener & Ordonez 13515, DA 8676, DA 8977
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Setaria aff. barbata. Voucher cited: J. Florence (legit J.-C. Janicaud) 2809 (PAP) Adventice
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 62) Voucher cited: Baudouin s.n. s.loc.
New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) New Guinea Island	New Guinea Island		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 332)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 96)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 109)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 96)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 192)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 79) Naturalised
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 58) Vouchers cited: Procter 4162, Robertson 2642

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Control:  If you know of control methods for Setaria barbata, please let us know.