Setaria


Setaria is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family.
The name is derived from the Latin word seta, meaning "bristle" or "hair", which refers to the bristly spikelets.
The genus includes over 100 species distributed in many tropical and temperate regions around the world, and members are commonly known as foxtail or bristle grasses.
Three species of Setaria have been domesticated and used as staple crops throughout history: foxtail millet, korali in India, and, before the full domestication of maize, Setaria macrostachya in Mexico. Several species are still cultivated today as food or as animal fodder, such as foxtail millet and korali, while others are considered invasive weeds. Setaria viridis is currently being developed as a genetic model system for bioenergy grasses.
; Species
; formerly included
Numerous species were once considered members of Setaria but have since been reassigned to the following genera: Brachiaria, Dissochondrus, Echinochloa, Holcolemma, Ixophorus, Oplismenus, Panicum, Paspalidium, Pennisetum, Pseudoraphis, Setariopsis, and Urochloa