Poaceae

Marsh bristlegrass

Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Setaria

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Marsh bristlegrass (Setaria parviflora) — FlowerPhoto: Arnim Littek, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (9)

Chinese: 莠狗尾草, 幽狗尾草, 牧地狼尾草, 小花蒺藜草, 多枝狼尾草, 多穗狼尾草
English: Marsh bristlegrass, Knotroot foxtail, Marsh brittlegrass, (misapplied) Setaria geniculata, Mission grass, Blue buffle grass, Feather pennisetum, Feathery pennisetum
Indonesian: Rumput ekor-kucing
Malayalam: നമ്പീശൻ പുല്ല്
Persian: ارزنی گلریز
sg: Süä
Swedish: Smal kavelhirs
Thai: หญ้าหางหมาจิ้งจอก
Welsh: Cibogwellt mân-flodeuog

Synonyms

Alopecurus rubicundus Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
Cenchrus parviflorus Poir.
Cenchrus polystachios (L.) Morrone
Chaetochloa corrugata var. parviflora (Poir.) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa flava (Nees) Scribn.
Chaetochloa geniculata (Poir.) Millsp. & Chase
Chaetochloa geniculata var. geniculata
Chaetochloa geniculata var. perennis (Hall) House
Chaetochloa geniculata var. purpurascens (Elliott) Farw.
Chaetochloa gracilis (Kunth) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa imberbis (Poir.) Scribn.
Chaetochloa imberbis subsp. versicolor (E.P.Bicknell) W.Stone
Chaetochloa imberbis var. geniculata (Poir.) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa imberbis var. imberbis
Chaetochloa imberbis var. penicillata (J.Presl) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa imberbis var. perennis (Hall) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa imberbis var. streptobotrys (E.Fourn.) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa imberbis var. versicolor (E.P.Bicknell) W.Stone
Chaetochloa laevigata Scribn.
Chaetochloa occidentalis Nash
Chaetochloa parviflora (Poir.) Scribn.
Chaetochloa penicillata (J.Presl) Scribn.
Chaetochloa perennis (Hall) C.Bicknell
Chaetochloa purpurascens (Kunth) Scribn. & Merr.
Chaetochloa ventenatii Nash
Chaetochloa versicolor E.P.Bicknell
Chaetochloa viridis var. purpurascens (Kunth) Honda
Chamaeraphis glauca var. geniculata (Poir.) Kuntze
Chamaeraphis glauca var. imberbis (Poir.) Kuntze
Chamaeraphis glauca var. laevigata (Nutt.) Beal
Chamaeraphis glauca var. penicillata (J.Presl) Kuntze
Chamaeraphis glauca var. perennis (Hall) Beal
Chamaeraphis gracilis (Kunth) Kuntze ex Stuck.
Chamaeraphis imberbis (Poir.) Kuntze ex Stuck.
Chamaeraphis penicillata (J.Presl) Stuck.
Chamaeraphis ventenatii Beal
Echinochloa geniculata (Poir.) Millsp.
Gymnotrix polystachion (L.) Sw. ex Trin.
Ixophorus glaucus var. laevigata (Muhl. ex Elliott) Chapm. ex Gatt.
Ixophorus glaucus var. laevigatus (Nutt.) Gatt.

and 114 more.

Flowers

In flower: all year (from 188 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Arnim Littek, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Harry Rose, CC0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Arnim Littek, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Ryan Donnelly, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FruitPhoto: Jay Horn, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Y. Liu, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: thiago.guimaraes.torres, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: James K. Douch, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Setaria

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.