Plants perennial. Culms 1-2 m. Sheaths
strigose, margins with stiff hairs; collars hispid; ligules about
2 mm, of hairs; blades to 50 cm long, 20-80 mm wide, plicate, tapering
at both ends, abaxial surfaces sparsely strigose, adaxial surfaces short pubescent
near the base. Panicles to 40 cm, open; branches 6-10 cm, loosely
flexible, axes scabrous; bristles solitary, usually present only below
the terminal spikelet on each branch, occasionally below non-terminal spikelets,
about 5 mm. Spikelets 3-4 mm, elliptic, acuminate. Lower glumes
1/2 as long as the spikelets, obtuse, 3-4-veined; upper glumes nearly
equaling the upper lemmas, 7-veined, acute; lower lemmas exceeding the
upper lemmas, 5-veined, apices involute; lower paleas nearly equaling
the lower lemmas in length and width; upper lemmas obscurely transversely
rugose, yellow, apiculate. 2n = 54.
Setaria palmifolia is primarily an Asiatic species. It is a common species
in Jamaica, and has been reported from scattered locations around the southern
coast of the United States. In the Flora region it is occasionally cultivated
as an ornamental for the conspicuous, plicate leaves and large panicles. In
Southeast Asia the grains are eaten as a substitute for rice and the tender,
thickened shoots as a vegetable.