Pigeon grass (Setaria pumila, Syst. Veg. ed. 15[bis]. 2: 891 (1817))

Family: Poaceae

Author: (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.

Bibliography: Syst. Veg. ed. 15[bis]. 2: 891 (1817)

Year: 1817

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Setaria

Vegetable: Unknown

Observations: Old World

Description

Pigeon grass, scientifically known as Setaria pumila, is an intriguing and resilient species belonging to the Poaceae family. It has been meticulously cataloged in botanical literature, most notably cited in “Syst. Veg. ed. 15[bis]. 2: 891 (1817)” by the esteemed authorities Poir., and Roem. & Schult. This grass is a native of the Old World, encompassing regions across Europe, Asia, and Africa before it spread to other parts of the globe.

In its growth habit, Setaria pumila is distinguished by its robust and adaptive nature. It typically thrives in disturbed soils, often being spotted in agricultural fields, along roadsides, and in vacant urban spaces. The resilience of pigeon grass allows it to flourish in a variety of environmental conditions, making it a common sight in many landscapes.

Mature plants generally reach a height of 30 to 60 centimeters. They are characterized by their dense, bristly flower spikes which resemble the erect tail of a fox, a feature that grants the genus Setaria its name, derived from the Latin word “seta” meaning bristle.

Ecologically, pigeon grass plays a significant role. It provides habitat and food for various wildlife species, and its seeds are particularly favored by birds, contributing to the grass’s dispersal and propagation. Moreover, in some cultures and regions, it is utilized as cattle fodder due to its abundant biomass and nutritional content.

Despite its benefits, Setaria pumila is often regarded as a weed in agricultural settings. Its rapid growth and prolific seeding habits can lead to competition with crops for resources, necessitating careful management by farmers.

Overall, pigeon grass is a species that exemplifies both the adaptability and the challenges of grass species within human and natural ecosystems. Its presence across continents underscores its evolutionary success and the ongoing relationship between plant species and their environments.

Common Names

Dan: blågrøn skærmaks
Eng: cattail grass, pigeon grass, yellow bristle grass, yellow bristle-grass, yellow bristlegrass, yellow foxtail
Deu: fuchsrote borstenhirse, graugruene borstenhirse, rote borstenhirse
Nld: geelrode naaldaar
Ces: bér sivý
Spa: milha-verde
Fra: sétaire glauque, sétaire jaune
Swe: grå kavelhirs, grå kolvhirs
Cym: cibogwellt melyn
En: Pigeon grass, Yellow bristle grass, Yellow foxtail, Cattail grass, Yellow bristlegrass, Yellow Bristle-grass, Little Bristlegrass, Smooth Millet
Ar: ذيل الثعلب القزم
Ca: Xereix d’aresta groga
Cs: Bér sivý
Da: Blågrøn skærmaks
Nl: Geelrode naaldaar, Zeegroene Naaldaar
Fi: Sinipantaheinä
Fr: Sétaire glauque, Sétaire jaune, Sétaire naine
De: Fuchsrote Borstenhirse, Graugruene Borstenhirse, Rote Borstenhirse, Fuchshirse, Graugrüne Borstenhirse, Niedrige Borstenhirse
It: Pabbio rossastro, Panicastrella scura, Pesarone
Ja: キンエノコロ
Es: Milha-verde, Almorejo blanco, Almorejo glauco
Sv: Grå kavelhirs, Grå kolvhirs
Cy: Cibogwellt melyn

Synonyms

• Panicum pumilum (Poir.)
• Setaria glauca var. breviseta (Buse)
• Setaria aurea var. penicillata (A.Chev.)
• Setaria glauca subsp. humifusa (Dumort.)
• Panicum imberbe var. pumilum ((Poir.) Nees)
• Setaria pennicillata (Nees ex Wall.)
• Setaria breviglumis (St.-Lag.)
• Setaria glauca var. compressa (Martrin-Donos)
• Panicum glaucum var. flavescens (Elliott)
• Setaria glauca var. longispica ((Honda) Makino & Nemoto)
• Setaria glauca var. bracteata (Bolzon)
• Setaria pumila subsp. pallide-fusca ((Schumach.) B.K.Simon)
• Setaria erythraeae (Mattei)
• Setaria rubiginosa ((Steud.) Miq.)
• Setaria glauca var. humifusa ((Dumort.) Tinant)
• Setaria sciuroidea (Müll.Hal.)
• Setaria glauca var. dura ((I.C.Chung) I.C.Chung)
• Setaria glauca var. macrocarpa (Hook.f.)
• Chaetochloa lutescens var. longispica (Honda)
• Setaria glauca var. minutissima (F.M.Bailey)
• Setaria glauca var. elongata ((Pers.) Roem. & Schult.)
• Setaria ustilata (de Wit)
• Setaria humifusa ((Dumort.) Dumort.)
• Panicum glaucum var. elongatum (Mutel)
• Panicum rubiginosum (Steud.)
• Setaria glauca f. abyssinica (Pilg.)
• Panicum glaucum var. pumilum ((Poir.) Asch. & Graebn.)
• Setaria pallide-fusca var. breviseta ((Buse) Jansen)
• Setaria lutescens var. longispica ((Honda) Honda)
• Setaria rubiginosa f. penicillata (Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
• Setaria pumila subsp. subtesselata ((Buse) B.K.Simon)
• Chaetochloa glauca var. purpurea (Farw.)
• Panicum luteum (Gueldenst.)
• Setaria glauca var. ictura (Buse)
• Setaria glauca var. longiseta (Vis.)
• Setaria glauca var. prostrata ((Bréb.) Bréb.)
• Panicum glaucum var. humifusum (Lej.)
• Setaria laeta (de Wit)
• Setaria aurea var. rubiginosa ((Steud.) Peter)
• Panicum glaucum var. laevigatum (Torr.)
• Setaria glauca var. nodiflora (Goiran)
• Setaria dasyura (Schlecht.)
• Setaria lutescens var. dura (I.C.Chung)
• Setaria glauca var. pumila ((Poir.) Hegi)
• Setaria boninensis (Nakai)
• Setaria glauca var. pallide-fusca ((Schumach.) T.Koyama)
• Setaria lutescens f. pumila ((Poir.) Soó)
• Setaria auricoma (Link ex A.Braun)
• Setaria pallide-fusca var. sericea (de Wit)
• Setaria pallide-fusca ((Schumach.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
• Setaria pallide-fusca var. ictura ((Buse) Jansen)
• Setaria pallide-fusca f. penicillata ((Stapf & C.E.Hubb.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb.)
• Panicum glaucum var. prostrata (Bréb.)
• Panicum pallide-fuscum (Schumach.)
• Setaria glauca subsp. subtesselata (Buse)

Distribution

• Afghanistan (native)
• Albania (native)
• Algeria (native)
• Altay (native)
• Andaman Is. (native)
• Angola (native)
• Assam (native)
• Austria (native)
• Azores (native)
• Baleares (native)
• Bangladesh (native)
• Benin (native)
• Bismarck Archipelago (native)
• Botswana (native)
• Bulgaria (native)
• Burkina (native)
• Burundi (native)
• Cameroon (native)
• Canary Is. (native)
• Cape Provinces (native)
• Cape Verde (native)
• Central African Repu (native)
• Central European Rus (native)
• Chad (native)
• China North-Central (native)
• China South-Central (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Chita (native)
• Corse (native)
• Cyprus (native)
• Czechoslovakia (native)
• Djibouti (native)
• East European Russia (native)
• East Himalaya (native)
• Egypt (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Ethiopia (native)
• France (native)
• Free State (native)
• Gambia (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Greece (native)
• Guinea (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Hainan (native)
• Hungary (native)
• India (native)
• Inner Mongolia (native)
• Italy (native)
• Ivory Coast (native)
• Japan (native)
• Jawa (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Korea (native)
• Krasnoyarsk (native)
• Kriti (native)
• Krym (native)
• Kuwait (native)
• KwaZulu-Natal (native)
• Laos (native)
• Lebanon-Syria (native)
• Lesotho (native)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
• Libya (native)
• Madagascar (native)
• Madeira (native)
• Malawi (native)
• Malaya (native)
• Mali (native)
• Maluku (native)
• Manchuria (native)
• Mauritania (native)
• Mauritius (native)
• Morocco (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Myanmar (native)
• Namibia (native)
• Nansei-shoto (native)
• Nepal (native)
• New Guinea (native)
• Nicobar Is. (native)
• Niger (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• North Caucasus (native)
• Northern Provinces (native)
• Northwest European R (native)
• Oman (native)
• Pakistan (native)
• Palestine (native)
• Philippines (native)
• Portugal (native)
• Primorye (native)
• Romania (native)
• Rwanda (native)
• Réunion (native)
• Sardegna (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Sicilia (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Sinai (native)
• Socotra (native)
• Solomon Is. (native)
• Somalia (native)
• South European Russi (native)
• Spain (native)
• Sri Lanka (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Sulawesi (native)
• Sumatera (native)
• Swaziland (native)
• Tadzhikistan (native)
• Taiwan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Thailand (native)
• Tibet (native)
• Togo (native)
• Transcaucasus (native)
• Tunisia (native)
• Turkey-in-Europe (native)
• Uganda (native)
• Ukraine (native)
• Vietnam (native)
• West Himalaya (native)
• Xinjiang (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Yugoslavia (native)
• Zambia (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Zimbabwe (native)
• Alabama (introduced)
• Alberta (introduced)
• Amur (introduced)
• Arizona (introduced)
• Arkansas (introduced)
• Baltic States (introduced)
• Belgium (introduced)
• Brazil Northeast (introduced)
• Brazil Southeast (introduced)
• British Columbia (introduced)
• California (introduced)
• Caroline Is. (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Colorado (introduced)
• Connecticut (introduced)
• Cook Is. (introduced)
• Delaware (introduced)
• District of Columbia (introduced)
• Dominican Republic (introduced)
• East Aegean Is. (introduced)
• Fiji (introduced)
• Florida (introduced)
• Georgia (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Haiti (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Idaho (introduced)
• Illinois (introduced)
• Indiana (introduced)
• Iowa (introduced)
• Jamaica (introduced)
• Kansas (introduced)
• Kentucky (introduced)
• Kermadec Is. (introduced)
• Louisiana (introduced)
• Maine (introduced)
• Manitoba (introduced)
• Marcus I. (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Marshall Is. (introduced)
• Maryland (introduced)
• Masachusettes (introduced)
• Mexico Central (introduced)
• Mexico Northeast (introduced)
• Mexico Northwest (introduced)
• Michigan (introduced)
• Minnesota (introduced)
• Mississippi (introduced)
• Missouri (introduced)
• Montana (introduced)
• Nebraska (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• Nevada (introduced)
• New Brunswick (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New Hampshire (introduced)
• New Jersey (introduced)
• New Mexico (introduced)
• New York (introduced)
• New Zealand North (introduced)
• New Zealand South (introduced)
• Newfoundland (introduced)
• Norfolk Is. (introduced)
• North Carolina (introduced)
• North Dakota (introduced)
• North European Russi (introduced)
• Nova Scotia (introduced)
• Ohio (introduced)
• Oklahoma (introduced)
• Ontario (introduced)
• Oregon (introduced)
• Pennsylvania (introduced)
• Peru (introduced)
• Pitcairn Is. (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Prince Edward I. (introduced)
• Puerto Rico (introduced)
• Québec (introduced)
• Rhode I. (introduced)
• Samoa (introduced)
• Saskatchewan (introduced)
• Society Is. (introduced)
• South Carolina (introduced)
• South Dakota (introduced)
• St.Helena (introduced)
• Sweden (introduced)
• Switzerland (introduced)
• Tennessee (introduced)
• Texas (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Tubuai Is. (introduced)
• Utah (introduced)
• Vanuatu (introduced)
• Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
• Vermont (introduced)
• Virginia (introduced)
• Washington (introduced)
• West Virginia (introduced)
• Windward Is. (introduced)
• Wisconsin (introduced)
• Wyoming (introduced)

Additional Images

Flower

Taken Nov 7, 2021 by bouwe molenbuur (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 30, 2022 by Jacques Louvel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 3, 2020 by Alfredo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 26, 2021 by satsukibare_in_tokyo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 26, 2022 by Adriaens Tim (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Sep 25, 2019 by gannan gg (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 28, 2020 by palladio gabirele (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 17, 2020 by Abad Ruben (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 4, 2019 by Nardo Delbarran (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 7, 2022 by Anna Clemente (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Oct 20, 2019 by Jorge (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 3, 2022 by lucycucci (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 26, 2019 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 26, 2019 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2022 by Robert Drajewicz (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Aug 6, 2021 by Maxime GUILLEMET (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 4, 2022 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 24, 2021 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 8, 2022 by rafaela marques (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 26, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Marie-France PETIBON (cc-by-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.

Bark

Taken Oct 4, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Dominique REMAUD (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 26, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 4, 2022 by Christine R. (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 29, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Alain LE QUÉAU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 24, 2021 by Szabó Zsolt (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Aug 18, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Florent BECK (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 18, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Florent BECK (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 30, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Florent BECK (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 30, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Florent BECK (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 30, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Florent BECK (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5289693)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:421764-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.)

Specifications

Growth