Setaria sphacelata

Family: Poaceae Genus: Setaria Species: sphacelata

Synonyms: Setaria perennis, Setaria chrysantha, Setaria aurea var. pallida, Panicum rudimentosum, Setaria torta, Setaria rudimentosa, Setaria aurea var. fumigata, Setaria aurea var. breviseta, Setaria aurea, Chaetochloa aurea, Setaria alpestris, Setaria anceps var. sericea, Setaria sphacelata var. aurea, Setaria almaspicata, Setaria angustifolia, Panicum chrysanthum, Setaria cana, Pennisetum rudimentosum, Setaria aurea subsp. kisunduensis, Setaria laxispica, Setaria sphacelata var. splendida, Setaria bussei, Setaria homblei, Setaria splendida, Setaria flabelliformis, Setaria planifolia, Panicum sphacelatum, Setaria sphacelata subsp. aquamontana, Setaria neglecta, Setaria chrysochaeta, Panicum aureum, Setaria aurea var. longiseta, Setaria stolzii, Setaria myosuroides, Setaria trinervia, Setaria sphacelata var. anceps, Setaria isalensis, Setaria sphacelata var. stolonifera, Setaria sphacelata subsp. pyropea, Setaria sphacelata subsp. nodosa, Setaria scalaris, Setaria sphacelata var. sericea, Setaria flabellata subsp. natalensis, Setaria anceps, Setaria glauca var. aurea, Setaria aurea f. minor, Setaria sphacelata var. torta, Setaria tenuispica, Setaria aurea var. palustris, Chaetochloa glauca var. aurea, Setaria flabellata, Setaria stenantha, Setaria aurea var. latifolia

Botanical Description

Setaria sphacelata, commonly known as African bristle grass, golden timothy, or South African pigeon grass, is a tufted perennial grass in the family Poaceae native to tropical and subtropical Africa, and widely cultivated as a pasture grass throughout the tropics. The plant typically grows 0.5 to 2 metres tall, forming dense bunches from a short knotty rhizome with stout, erect to ascending culms that are smooth or slightly hairy at the nodes. The leaf blades are linear, 15 to 50 centimetres long and 5 to 12 millimetres wide, flat or folded, with a prominent midrib and a fringed membranous ligule. The inflorescence is a dense, cylindrical, spike-like panicle 7 to 30 centimetres long and about 1 centimetre wide, golden-yellow to orange-brown at maturity, with the spikelets subtended by clusters of long, bristly, persistent setae. Each spikelet contains a single fertile floret. The grass thrives in moist tropical grasslands and is valued for forage and erosion control.

Native Region: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

235223

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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