Family: Poaceae
Author: (Poir.) Kerguélen
Bibliography: Lejeunia, n.s., 120: 161 (1987)
Year: 1987
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Setaria
Vegetable: False
Observations: New World
Description
Feather pennisetum, scientifically known as Setaria parviflora, is a significant species belonging to the Poaceae family. This perennial grass is notable for its delicate, feathery inflorescence, which gives it a light and airy appearance. Originating in the New World, Setaria parviflora has adapted well to various climates and regions, showcasing its resilience and versatility.
As a member of the Poaceae family, Feather pennisetum shares many characteristics common to grasses, including its basic structural forms and functional roles in its ecosystems. This grass species is often found in open fields, roadside areas, and other disturbed habitats where it can propagate without much competition.
The plant’s scientific recognition dates back to the publication in Lejeunia, where it was thoroughly documented and classified in the year 1987. (Poir.) Kerguélen was credited for this formal botanical categorization, contributing significantly to our understanding of this species.
Feather pennisetum is distinguished by its slender, upright stems that support a plume-like spikelet. These spikelets are composed of tiny florets that lend a soft texture to the plant’s overall form. Its ability to thrive in a range of soil types and environmental conditions makes it a valuable species for various ecological purposes, including soil stabilization and habitat creation for wildlife.
In summary, Feather pennisetum’s elegant appearance, ecological adaptability, and scientific documentation underscore its importance and enduring presence in the plant kingdom.
Common Names
En: Feather pennisetum, Mission grass, Thin Napier grass, West Indies Pearl-millet, Feathery pennisetum, Queue de chat, Thin napiergrass, Marsh bristlegrass, Knotroot Bristle-grass, Marsh brittlegrass, Bristly foxtail, Knotroot bristlegrass, Knotroot foxtail, Marsh bristle grass, Yellow bristlegrass, Knotroot bristle grass, Slender pigeon grass, Yellow bristle grass
Fr: Sétaire à petites fleurs, Sétaire glauque, Sétaire naine, Sétaire verte
Pt-br: Capim-mandante, Capim-oferecido, Capim-avião, Capim-custódio
Deu: kleinblütige borstenhirse
Eng: knotroot bristle-grass, marsh bristlegrass, knotroot bristle grass, knotroot foxtail, slender pigeon grass, yellow bristle grass, marsh brittlegrass
Dan: knæbøjet skærmaks, slank skærmaks
Ita: pabbio perenne
Fra: sétaire à petites fleurs
Por: capim-rabo-de-raposa, capím-rabo-de-gato, carrapicho-do-campo, rabo-de-quati
Spa: cepillo de botellas, cepillo de dientes, cola de zorra, deshollinador, gusanillo, lava frascos, limpia botella, pega-pega, zacate bermuda, zacate cola de zorra
Nld: slanke naaldaar
Swe: smal kavelhirs
Cym: cibogwellt mân-flodeuog
Da: Knæbøjet skærmaks, Slank skærmaks
Nl: Slanke naaldaar
De: Kleinblütige Borstenhirse
It: Pabbio perenne
Pt: Capim-rabo-de-raposa, Capím-rabo-de-gato, Carrapicho-do-campo, Rabo-de-quati
Es: Cepillo de botellas, Cepillo de dientes, Cola de zorra, Deshollinador, Gusanillo, Lava frascos, Limpia botella, Pega-pega, Zacate bermuda, Zacate cola de zorra
Sv: Smal kavelhirs
Cy: Cibogwellt Mân-Flodeuog
Synonyms
- Pennisetum polystachion ((L.) Schult.)
- Cenchrus polystachios ((L.) Morrone)
- Panicum geniculatum (Willd.)
- Pennisetum geniculatum ((Poir.) J.Jacq.)
- Setaria geniculata (P.Beauv.)
- Panicum congestum (Döll)
- Panicum occidentale ((Nash) Nieuwl.)
- Panicum adscendens (Hoffm. ex Schult. & Schult.f.)
- Panicum glaberrimum (Elliott ex Scribn. & Merr.)
- Panicum glaucescens (Salzm. ex Döll)
- Panicum versicolor ((E.P.Bicknell) Nieuwl.)
- Panicum imberbe var. dasyurum ((Willd. ex Nees) Döll.)
- Setaria glauca var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Torr.)
- Setaria imberbis ((Poir.) Roem. & Schult.)
- Setaria gracilis f. radicans ((Hack.) Hack.)
- Setaria vulpina ((Willd.) P.Beauv.)
- Setaria imberbis var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Hack.)
- Chamaeraphis ventenatii (Beal)
- Panicum ventenatii (Steud.)
- Setaria imberbis var. gracilis ((Kunth) Hack.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis var. penicillata ((J.Presl) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Panicum gobariense (Vanderyst)
- Setaria geniculata var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Urb.)
- Setaria glauca var. geniculata ((Poir.) Urb.)
- Setaria parviflora var. pilosissima ((Hack.) Pensiero)
- Chaetochloa occidentalis (Nash)
- Setaria imberbis var. perennis ((Hall) House)
- Chaetochloa versicolor (E.P.Bicknell)
- Setaria gracilis f. breviseta (Hack.)
- Setaria fieldingii (Müll.Hal.)
- Panicum medium (Muhl. ex Elliott)
- Setaria glauca f. pallens (Hegi)
- Chaetochloa geniculata ((Poir.) Millsp. & Chase)
- Panicum raripilum (Kunth)
- Chaetochloa penicillata ((J.Presl) Scribn.)
- Panicum ascendens (Willd. ex Spreng.)
- Chaetochloa purpurascens ((Kunth) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Chaetochloa gracilis ((Kunth) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Panicum imberbe var. gracile ((Kunth) Kneuck.)
- Setaria parviflora var. brachytricha ((Mez ex R.A.W.Herrm.) Pensiero)
- Panicum imberbe var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Döll)
- Panicum pseudoholcus (Steud.)
- Setaria imberbis f. brevispica (Hack.)
- Panicum imberbe var. glaucocaesium (Döll)
- Panicum glaucum var. purpurascens (Elliott)
- Setaria gracilis f. megalantha (Stuck.)
- Setaria glauca var. penicillata ((J.Presl) Griseb.)
- Panicum glaucum var. brasiliense (Trin. ex Nees)
- Setaria imberbis f. setislongioribus (Hack.)
- Setaria gracilis var. dasyura ((Nees) Arechav.)
- Panicum beccabunga (Rendle)
- Setaria imberbis f. radicans (Hack.)
- Setaria streptobotrys (E.Fourn.)
- Setaria imberbis f. longiseta (Hack.)
- Panicum tejucense (Nees)
- Panicum brasiliense (Spreng.)
- Panicum polystachion (L.)
- Chamaeraphis glauca var. laevigata ((Nutt.) Beal)
- Setaria imberbis f. uberior (Hack.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis var. perennis ((Hall) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Pennisetum indicum subvar. parviflorum ((Poir.) Leeke)
- Pennisetum laevigatum (Nutt.)
- Setaria gracilis f. brevispica ((Hack.) Hack.)
- Chaetochloa geniculata var. perennis ((Hall) House)
- Setaria gracilis var. pilosissima (Hack.)
- Chamaeraphis glauca var. penicillata ((J.Presl) Kuntze)
- Chaetochloa viridis var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Honda)
- Setaria gracilis f. breviglumis (Hack.)
- Setaria flava ((Nees) Kunth)
- Chaetochloa perennis ((Hall) C.Bicknell)
- Chaetochloa laevigata (Scribn.)
- Setaria gracilis f. longiseta ((Hack.) Hack.)
- Setaria gracilis f. penicillata ((J.Presl) Mez ex Ekman)
- Setaria laevigata ((Nutt.) Schult.)
- Setaria imberbis f. flaviseta (Hack.)
- Panicum brachytrichum (Steud.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis ((Poir.) Scribn.)
- Setaria glauca var. imberbis ((Poir.) Griseb.)
- Setaria geniculata var. latifolia (E.Fourn.)
- Panicum lutescens var. flavum ((Nees) Backer)
- Setaria floriana (Andersson)
- Setaria imberbis var. genuina (Hack.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis var. streptobotrys ((E.Fourn.) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Setaria lutescens f. pallens ((Hegi) Soó)
- Chamaeraphis glauca var. geniculata ((Poir.) Kuntze)
- Setaria berteroniana (Schult.)
- Setaria gracilis f. flaviseta ((Hack.) Hack.)
- Setaria affinis (Schult.)
- Setaria tejucensis ((Nees) Kunth)
- Setaria flava var. pumila (E.Fourn.)
- Panicum imberbe (Poir.)
- Setaria gracilis var. purpurascens ((Kunth) Arechav.)
- Panicum flavum (Nees)
- Setaria discolor (Hack.)
- Chaetochloa geniculata var. purpurascens ((Elliott) Farw.)
- Setaria imberbis f. breviseta (Hack.)
- Chamaeraphis penicillata ((J.Presl) Stuck.)
- Setaria barretoi (Boldrini)
- Panicum imberbe var. latifolium (Döll)
- Setaria gracilis f. purpurascens ((Kunth) Arechav.)
- Chamaeraphis glauca var. imberbis ((Poir.) Kuntze)
- Setaria ventenatii (Kunth)
- Setaria gracilis var. latifolia ((Döll) Arechav.)
- Panicum dasyurum (Nees)
- Chamaeraphis glauca var. perennis ((Hall) Beal)
- Pennisetum parviflorum ((Poir.) Trin.)
- Setaria lutescens var. flava ((Nees) Yamam.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis var. geniculata ((Poir.) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Setaria glauca var. laevigata ((Nutt.) Chapm.)
- Panicum glaucum var. tejucense ((Nees) Steud.)
- Setaria stipiculmis (Müll.Hal.)
- Chaetochloa imberbis var. versicolor ((E.P.Bicknell) W.Stone)
- Gymnotrix polystachion ((L.) Sw. ex Trin.)
- Setaria lutescens f. longiseta ((Vis.) Soó)
- Setaria penicillata (J.Presl)
- Chaetochloa ventenatii (Nash)
- Panicum fuscescens (Willd. ex Steud.)
- Chamaeraphis imberbis ((Poir.) Kuntze ex Stuck.)
- Cenchrus parviflorus (Poir.)
- Panicum berteronianum ((Schult.) Steud.)
- Ixophorus glaucus var. laevigatus (Chapm. ex Gatt.)
- Setaria tenella (Desv.)
- Setaria glauca f. longiseta (Vis.)
- Chaetochloa corrugata var. parviflora ((Poir.) Scribn. & Merr.)
- Chaetochloa flava ((Nees) Scribn.)
- Panicum vulpinum (Willd.)
- Chaetochloa parviflora ((Poir.) Scribn.)
- Setaria gracilis var. glaucocaesia (Arechav.)
- Setaria brachytricha (Mez ex R.A.W.Herrm.)
- Chamaeraphis gracilis ((Kunth) Kuntze ex Stuck.)
- Setaria geniculata var. pauciseta (E.Desv.)
Distribution
- Alabama (native)
- Argentina Northeast (native)
- Argentina Northwest (native)
- Argentina South (native)
- Arizona (native)
- Arkansas (native)
- Bahamas (native)
- Belize (native)
- Bermuda (native)
- Bolivia (native)
- Brazil North (native)
- Brazil Northeast (native)
- Brazil South (native)
- Brazil Southeast (native)
- Brazil West-Central (native)
- California (native)
- Cayman Is. (native)
- Central American Pac (native)
- Chile Central (native)
- Chile North (native)
- Chile South (native)
- Colombia (native)
- Connecticut (native)
- Costa Rica (native)
- Cuba (native)
- Delaware (native)
- Desventurados Is. (native)
- District of Columbia (native)
- Dominican Republic (native)
- Ecuador (native)
- El Salvador (native)
- Florida (native)
- French Guiana (native)
- Galápagos (native)
- Georgia (native)
- Guatemala (native)
- Guyana (native)
- Haiti (native)
- Honduras (native)
- Idaho (native)
- Illinois (native)
- Indiana (native)
- Iowa (native)
- Jamaica (native)
- Juan Fernández Is. (native)
- Kansas (native)
- Kentucky (native)
- Leeward Is. (native)
- Louisiana (native)
- Maryland (native)
- Masachusettes (native)
- Mexican Pacific Is. (native)
- Mexico Central (native)
- Mexico Gulf (native)
- Mexico Northeast (native)
- Mexico Northwest (native)
- Mexico Southeast (native)
- Mexico Southwest (native)
- Mississippi (native)
- Missouri (native)
- Nevada (native)
- New Jersey (native)
- New Mexico (native)
- New York (native)
- Nicaragua (native)
- North Carolina (native)
- Ohio (native)
- Oklahoma (native)
- Oregon (native)
- Panamá (native)
- Paraguay (native)
- Pennsylvania (native)
- Peru (native)
- Puerto Rico (native)
- Rhode I. (native)
- South Carolina (native)
- Suriname (native)
- Tennessee (native)
- Texas (native)
- Trinidad-Tobago (native)
- Turks-Caicos Is. (native)
- Uruguay (native)
- Utah (native)
- Venezuela (native)
- Venezuelan Antilles (native)
- Virginia (native)
- Washington (native)
- West Virginia (native)
- Windward Is. (native)
- Algeria (introduced)
- Austria (introduced)
- Azores (introduced)
- Cambodia (introduced)
- Canary Is. (introduced)
- Cape Provinces (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Chatham Is. (introduced)
- China South-Central (introduced)
- China Southeast (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Easter Is. (introduced)
- Equatorial Guinea (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Hainan (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Italy (introduced)
- Jawa (introduced)
- Kermadec Is. (introduced)
- Laos (introduced)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (introduced)
- Madagascar (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- Malaya (introduced)
- Marianas (introduced)
- Marshall Is. (introduced)
- Myanmar (introduced)
- Nansei-shoto (introduced)
- Nepal (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Guinea (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- Palestine (introduced)
- Philippines (introduced)
- Réunion (introduced)
- Sardegna (introduced)
- Solomon Is. (introduced)
- Sri Lanka (introduced)
- Taiwan (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Thailand (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- West Himalaya (introduced)
Additional Images
Flower
Taken Sep 16, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 22, 2019 by Shaiz Ali (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 26, 2022 by Cordoba Medellin Fred Erick (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2019 by linda griffith (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 25, 2019 by Su Su Hlaing (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jul 19, 2020 by Ferreira João (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 6, 2020 by Oli Bruna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 17, 2019 by Novica Stojanov (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 9, 2019 by Cornejo Abraham (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 23, 2019 by Solange logeot (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 24, 2021 by Anton Gjeldum (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 17, 2022 by Flor Alex (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Sep 3, 2021 by emmanuela mbangale (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 3, 2021 by emmanuela mbangale (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 3, 2021 by emmanuela mbangale (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 11, 2021 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Mar 6, 2022 by Naushad BM (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)
Taken Jul 11, 2021 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Marco Schmidt (cc-by-nc-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:943811-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Pennisetum polystachion (L.) Schult.)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/9642664)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5289679)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Setaria parviflora (Poir.) M.Kerguelen)
Specifications
Growth habit: Graminoid
Growth
