Setaria verticillata is a species of
grass known by the common names hooked bristlegrass,[2]rough bristle-grass[3] and bristly foxtail. It is native to Europe, but it is known on most continents as an
introduced species and often a
noxious weed. It is a hardy
bunchgrass which grows in many types of urban, cultivated, and disturbed habitat. It is a weed of many types of
agricultural crops, growing in
vineyards and fields. Herbicide-resistant strains have been noted.[4]
This is an annual grass with decumbent or erect stems growing up to a meter long. The leaf blades are up to 25 centimeters long and have a long sheath around the stem. The
inflorescence is a dense
panicle up to 15 centimeters long which tapers at both ends. It contains many small spikelets and bristles. The bristles have tiny backwards-pointing barbs that help them hook onto clothing or animal fur, facilitating their
dispersal.[4]
Seeds of the grass are used to make
beer in South Africa and
porridge in Namibia.[4] They have been used as a
famine food in India.[5]
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.).
"Setaria verticillata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 11 November 2015.