Setaria parviflora

(Poir.) Kerguelen

Bristly Foxtail

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131562
Element CodePMPOA5L150
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusSetaria
Synonyms
Setaria geniculata(Lam.) Beauv.
Other Common Names
Marsh Bristlegrass (EN) marsh bristlegrass (EN) Yellow Foxtail Grass (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
Called Setaria geniculata in many older references, but treated as Setaria parviflora by Kartesz (1994 checklist). The European species Setaria gracilis has sometimes been included in S. geniculata, but is maintained as a separate species by Kartesz and by Wagner et al. (1990). Kartesz (1999) includes S. gracilis in S. parviflora.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-10-31
Change Date1988-08-04
Edition Date2024-10-31
Edition AuthorsAnnable, C. (1993), rev. L. Morse (1996), rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Setaria parviflora is a perennial grass occurring in moist places and disturbed areas of North America, Mexico, Central America, and South America, and as an introduced species elsewhere. There are over 1,000 occurrences of this species, which are potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, alteration of hydrology, erosion, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and high number of occurrences, Setaria parviflora is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Setaria parviflora has a widespread range, occurring as a native species in North America, Mexico, Central America, and South America, and is is an introduced species elsewhere (POWO 2024). In North America, it occurs from Iowa and New York south to Florida and Texas, and throughout the western United States from Washington and Idaho south to California and New Mexico (FNA 2003). It is most frequent in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal regions. Its native range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 within Setaria parviflora's native range, there are estimated to be over 1,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Setaria parviflora is likely threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, alteration of hydrology, erosion, succession, invasive species, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Setaria parviflora occurs on moist ground (FNA 2003) in marshes, ditches, pine rocklands, disturbed sites, and along the margins of wetlands (Native Plant Trust 2024, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - Conifer
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutSNRYes
MassachusettsS3Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
NevadaS1Yes
New YorkS3Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
UtahSNRYes
FloridaS5Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
Rhode IslandS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
KansasS5Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MississippiSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
IndianaS3Yes
OregonSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
DelawareS4Yes
IowaSUYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Salt CreekAngeles National Forest11,022
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
References (11)
  1. Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. Corrected printing (1970). D. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 1632 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2003a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxv + 781 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  4. Hitchcock, A.S. 1951. Manual of the grasses of the United States. 2nd edition revised by Agnes Chase. [Reprinted, 1971, in 2 vols., by Dover Publications, Incorporated, New York.]
  5. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  8. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  9. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  10. Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst, and S.H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Univ. Hawaii Press and Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1853 pp.
  11. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.