Taxon: Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb.

Summary

Genus:

Setaria

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Panicoideae

Tribe:

Paniceae

Subtribe:

Cenchrinae

Nomen number:

33844

Place of publication:

D. Prain, Fl. trop. Afr. 9:795. 1930 (ex M. B. Moss, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1929:195. 1929, nom. nud.)

Verified:

01/31/2001 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

142 (101 active, 77 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. var. anceps (Stapf) Veldkamp (4 active accession[s])
Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. var. aurea (Hochst. ex A. Braun) Clayton (0 active accession[s])
Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. var. sphacelata (8 active accession[s])
Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. var. splendida (Stapf) Clayton (0 active accession[s])
Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. var. torta (Stapf) Clayton (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Clayton, W. D. 1979. Notes on Setaria (Gramineae). Kew Bull. 33:503, 505, 506. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Delfini, C. et al. 2023. An update of the Cenchrinae (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae) and a new genus for the Subtribe to clarify the dubious position of a species of Panicum L. Plants. OAJ. 12:749. DOI: 10.3390/plants12040749.
Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource). Note: accessed August 2023
Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58 Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Kartesz, J. T. & K. N. Gandhi. 1990. Nomenclatural notes for the North American flora. IV. Phytologia 69:306.
Kellogg, E. A. et al. 2009. A phylogeny of Setaria (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae) and related genera based on the chloroplast gene ndhF. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 170:117-131. DOI: 10.1086/593043. Note: this study included African Setaria sphacelata with diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid populations; these were resolved together sister to S. pumila in a strongly supported subclade within the African Setaria clade, and distant to the foxtail millet clade
Kellogg, E. A. et al. 2020. Checklist of the grasses of India. PhytoKeys 163:280. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.163.38393. Note: perennial
Morrone, O. et al. 2014. Revision of the Old World species of Setaria (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Paniceae). Syst. Bot. Monogr. 96:114-121. Note: African, variable, perennial species; this treatment accepts all five varieties
't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 4:201. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. ex Moss
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Veldkamp, J. F. 1994. Miscellaneous notes on southeast Asian Gramineae: 9. Setaria and Paspalidium. Blumea 39:382. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Stapf & C. E. Hubb. ex Moss ex Stapf & C. E. Hubb.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:559-902. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
Welcome, A. K. & B.-E. Van Wyk. 2019. An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. S. African J. Bot. 122:136-179. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.11.003.
Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	African bristle grass			1	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
English	South African pigeon grass			1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Malawi			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zambia			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zimbabwe			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Botswana			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Lesotho
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Namibia
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Burkina Faso
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea-Bissau
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mali
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mauritania
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon			Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Yemen
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere, incl. United States
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Kellogg, E. A. et al. 2020. Checklist of the grasses of India. PhytoKeys 163:280. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.163.38393. Note: perennial
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:559-902. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:559-902. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:559-902. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Imbabura		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Morona Santiago		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Pichincha		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Sucumbíos		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Zamora Chinchipe		Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa

Asia-Temperate

ARABIAN PENINSULA: Yemen

Naturalized

REGION:

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Sri Lanka

Northern America

SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Puebla, Tabasco, Yucatán]

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuador [Imbabura, Morona Santiago, Pichincha, Sucumbíos, Zamora Chinchipe], Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay

Reference(s)

Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Kellogg, E. A. et al. 2020. Checklist of the grasses of India. PhytoKeys 163:280. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.163.38393. Note: perennial
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:559-902. DOI: 10.1016/j.mb.2016.06.017.
Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun Note: lists as Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:587.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Human food	cereal	as famine food	Welcome, A. K. & B.-E. Van Wyk. 2019. An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. S. African J. Bot. 122:136-179. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2018.11.003.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=33844. Accessed 12 May 2026.