Setaria palmifolia (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Setaria palmifolia (J. König) Stapf
- Protologue: Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. 42: 186 (1914).
- Family: Gramineae
- Chromosome number: 2n= 54
Synonyms
Panicum palmifolium J. König (1788).
Vernacular names
- Palm grass, broadleaved bristlegrass (En)
- Indonesia: sauheun (Sundanese), luluwan kebo (Javanese), jang-mejang-an (Madurese)
- Malaysia: lachang (Peninsular)
- Papua New Guinea: pitpit (Pidgin), leat (Enga), kugla (Western Highlands)
- Philippines: agusais (Bikol), asahas (Cebu Bisaya), lalasa (Igorot)
- Thailand: yaa kaap phai (Loei), kong kaai, yaa kong kaai (Chiang Mai)
- Vietnam: cỏ lá dừa, tơ v[ix] tre.
Origin and geographic distribution
S. palmifolia is widely distributed in Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Indo-China, China, Japan, Thailand and throughout the Malesian region. Although primarily Asiatic, secondary centres of distribution are recorded around the Caribbean and in West Africa. Elsewhere, it is sometimes cultivated, e.g. in tropical and subtropical America.
Uses
In Java young shoots are eaten after childbirth, apparently to promote lochia and lactation. In Peninsular Malaysia a compound decoction of the leaves is drunk in cases of irregular menses. The boiled pith is used in New Guinea to treat stomach-ache, diarrhoea, fever and colds. In Papua New Guinea leaves are applied externally to relieve toothache.
In several regions, e.g. New Guinea, Java and Borneo, young shoots and the fleshy leaf sheaths, which are sweet tasting, are popular as a vegetable, often eaten with rice. In New Guinea the shoots are eaten raw or prepared in earth-stone ovens with other vegetables. The grain is locally used as a substitute for rice, e.g. in the Philippines. S. palmifolia is a good forage when not too old, with good nutritional value and fair production, especially suitable for horses and cattle. It is also planted in agroforestry systems in India and Vietnam to prevent soil erosion on slopes. S. palmifolia has ornamental value.
S. italica (L.) P. Beauv. (foxtail millet), which is cultivated as a cereal all over the world, is credited with diuretic, astringent and emollient properties, and is used in traditional medicine in China to treat vomiting, diabetes, diarrhoea and rheumatism. In Madura (Indonesia) a decoction of pounded grains has been applied internally against fever.
S. viridis (L.) P. Beauv. is primarily important as forage, but is also used medicinally in China: culms and leaves are applied externally to carbuncles, boils, ringworm and psoriasis. A decoction of the inflorescence is used to treat diarrhoea and of the culms and grains to treat eye diseases. It is a noxious weed worldwide, and has locally been introduced in South-East Asia.
In Indonesia whole plants of a Setaria species, possibly S. parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen (synonym: S. pallide-fusca (Schumach.) Stapf & C.E. Hubb.) are used, fresh or dried, to treat toothache, rubella and allergy complaints. Insecticidal activity has also been recorded for this species.
Properties
The nutritive value of S. palmifolia as a forage has been determined in a metabolism trial in goats in India. It contained 48% total digestible nutrient and 8% digestible crude protein, but the intake was considered inadequate to meet the maintenance requirements of goats. In cattle, the results were better, with 58% total digestible nutrient and 9% digestible crude protein, and positive balance for N, Ca and P; S. palmifolia is considered good for maintenance and production of cattle.
Botany
A perennial, strongly tufted herb up to 150(-300) cm tall, with short rhizome; culms erect-ascending, solid or with narrow cavity. Leaves alternate, simple, lanceolate, 15-70 cm × 5-10 cm, narrowed at base, acute at apex, rather rigid and hard, strongly plicate, rough, glabrous or with long, whitish hairs; sheath firm and leathery, long-ciliate at margins, often also with long, stiff, caducous hairs, ligule 1-2 mm long, divided into hair-like slips. Inflorescence a loose panicle up to 60 cm tall, usually nodding, with very rough branches; ultimate branches at base with up to 5 bristles up to 7 mm long, each with a spikelet near the base, above them 3-15 spikelets without bristles, spikelets 2-seriate, crowded. Spikelets elliptical-oblong, 3.5-4 mm long, 2-flowered, with lower glume c. 2 mm long and 3-5-veined, upper glume c. 3 mm long and 5-7-veined, lower lemma c. 3.5 mm long and 5-7-veined, lower palea c. 2 mm long and indistinctly veined, upper lemma c. 3 mm long, transversely rugose, and upper palea c. 3 mm long; flowers with 3 stamens, a glabrous ovary with 2 free styles and plumose stigmas. Fruit a plano-convex caryopsis enclosed between the upper lemma and palea.
Setaria is a large genus of approximately 100 species. It is distributed all over the tropics and subtropics, but several species can also be found in temperate regions. Setaria is heterogeneous, the most characteristic feature being the tips of the panicle branches, which are modified into bristles subtending the spikelets. S. palmifolia belongs to a difficult complex of about 6 perennial plicately-leaved species. Var. blepharoneuron (A. Braun) Veldkamp (synonym: S. plicata (Lamk) T. Cooke) differs from typical S. palmifolia in its narrower leaves and usually more contracted panicle; it has been recorded from India and Sri Lanka to China and Japan, and also from Malesia (Sulawesi).
Ecology
S. palmifolia occurs on light soils with good water-holding capacity, in moderately shaded localities, often in open secondary forest and old clearings, up to 2000 m altitude. It is common in many regions.
Management In the highlands of New Guinea S. palmifolia is cultivated as a garden vegetable. There, the plants do not produce flowers and fruits, and are only propagated vegetatively, using young shoots. S. palmifolia can be a serious weed locally, e.g. in tea, wheat and ginger plantings.
Grown as a forage under irrigation, S. palmifolia can be harvested after 3 months, with 3 further cuts at intervals of 2 months. In India yields of 110 t/ha of fresh fodder in 4 cuts have been recorded in naturally growing S. palmifolia .
Genetic resources
S. palmifolia is a variable species with an extremely wide and erratically disjunct distribution, which seems to indicate a large genetic variation. Even in the vegetatively propagated S. palmifolia plants cultivated as a vegetable in New Guinea, the genetic diversity is recorded as large: landraces with very distinct morphological characters can be found, and about 10 of these have been given names.
Prospects
S. palmifolia is a multipurpose grass that may serve as a valuable vegetable and forage, as well as a useful medicinal plant and auxiliary plant in agroforestry. It deserves more attention in research, particularly concerning the pharmacological properties and its qualities as a vegetable.
Literature
301, 334, 347, 749, 961.
Other selected sources
62, 121, 731, 760, 991.
Main genus page
Authors
Praptiwi
