| Synonyms: |
Microchloa setacea (Roxb.) R. Br. Microchloa setacea var. gracilis Rendle Nardus indica L.f. Rottboellia setacea Roxb. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Loosely caespitose annual growing in isolated tufts, rarely forming mats; culms up to 50 cm tall, leafy throughout; leaf sheaths remaining intact; leaf laminas 1–8(11) cm × up to 1.75(rarely to 4.5) mm, usually filiform, sometimes flat.Raceme 1.5–15 cm long, very slender, straight or curved, glabrous at the base.Spikelets 1-flowered, 1.6–2.1(3) mm long; lemma 1.3–1.8 mm long; anthers 0.2–0.4 mm long, rarely up to 1.2 mm.Caryopsis c. 0.9 mm long. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | indica: of India |
| Habitat: | Often in bare or sparsely covered ground in montane grassland and miombo woodlands, on pan edges in mopane woodlands, sometimes on termitaria; also on roadsides and paths |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 610 - 2350 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | the tropics and subtropics |
| FZ divisions: | N |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 354. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Pages 229 - 230. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 49. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 106. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 202. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 141. |