Rough bristle grass, Whorled Pigeon Grass
Setaria verticillata

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual grass. It forms tufts. It has many branches. It is 20-100 cm tall. The flower is narrow and like a cylinder shaped. It tapers to a point. The spikelets are in rings and separated especially lower on the flowering stalk. The bristles are barbed in a reflexed direction.

There are about 130 Setaria species. They are mainly in the tropics and subtropics. The flowering heads are put over grain to protect it from rats due to the barbed bristles. It is a C4 pathway plant.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical and warm temperate places. It grows on roadsides between 300-1000 m altitude in Taiwan. It is used in western Rajasthan in India. It grows in hot arid places. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 300-1,000 mm. It grows from 60-2,100 m above sea level in tropical countries. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,600 m above sea level. It can tolerate shade. It can grow in arid places. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores, Bahrain, Balkans, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, China, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marquesas, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Sahara, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The grains are used as food. They are used in porridge. They are also used for making an alcoholic drink. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bar chitta, Bar, Barchitta, Bir kauni, Bur, Chick-lenta, Chir chira, Chirchita, Damati, Damatila, Dorayra, Eomba, Kulta, Maraboob, Mara-kudhag, Myet-naya, Nayar-myet, Ndzimati, Vretenčasti muhvič

Synonyms

Panicum verticillatum Linnaeus; Panicum verticillatum L. subsp. aparine (Steud.) Asch. & Schweinf.; Chaetochloa brevispica Scribner & Merrill; Chaetochloa verticillata (Linnaeus) Scribner; Chamaeraphis italica var. verticillata (Linnaeus) Kuntze; Chamaeraphis verticillata (Linnaeus) Porter; Panicum adhaerens Forssk.; Panicum aparine Steud.; Panicum asperum Lamarck; Panicum recipiens (A. Rich.) Steud.; Pennisetum verticillatum (Linnaeus) R. Brown; Pennisetum respiciens A. Rich.; Setaria brevispica (Scribner & Merrill) Schumann; Setaria carnei A. Hitchc.; Setaria adhaerens (Forssk.) Chiov.; Setaria aparine (Steud.) Chiov.; Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv. var. respiciens (A. Rich.) A. Br.; Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv. var. aparine (Steud.) T. Durand & Schinz; Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. var. insularis Terrac.; Setaria nubica Link.; Setaria recipiens (A. Rich.) Walp.;