jmgarg1
unread,Jul 26, 2012, 12:48:22 AM7/26/12Sign in to reply to author
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to efloraofindia, crazyg...@gmail.com, tanvee...@gmail.com, pch...@gmail.com, mug...@gmail.com, nirbh...@rediffmail.com, pritis...@gmail.com, mach...@gmail.com, Satish Nikam, Gurcharan Singh
A reply;
"Dear all,
This is more likely Setaria pumila. It is similar to S.glauca, but has smaller spikelets(upto 2.25mm long) than S.glauca (3mm long). Seeing the photo, the relative size of the inflorescence, relative size of the spikelet with respect to the bristles and the width of the peduncle and the rounded nature of the upper lemma without any prominent keel, etc. I would like to place it more under S.pumila rather than S.glauca. The wrinlkes on the upper glume are fine in S.pumila and coarse in S.glauca, but this character cannot be diagnosed from the photograph. S.glauca is also considered a polyploid form of S.pumila, with 2n=18 for pumila and 2n=36 for glauca.
Most of the Setaria pumila collections from Pune and surrounds has been wrongly classified as S.glauca in several herbaria. Here is one excerpt regarding this from N.L.Bor's (1960) Grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan:
"Blatter considers this (S.glauca) to be the commonest species of the genus in the Bombay State, but in point of fact the great majority of the specimens received in recent years from Father H.Santapau, S.J., are not this species but S.pallide-fusca (which is now known as S.pumila). Blatter also says it is a common pasture grass in rich and cultivated soil. It is said to be cultivated as a kharif crop in the Poona District."
Though both the species are found throughout India, S.pumila is the common grass out of the two in peninsular India whereas S.glauca is more common in the Gangetic plain and sub Himalayan tracts.
At this stage, S.pumila would be a more appropriate identification.
Regards...
Manoj Chandran"