2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Setaria (Latin Setaria) - light-loving drought-resistant annual or biennial from the Cereals family. Other names are mice or bristles.
Description
Setaria is a herbaceous plant with a height of half a meter to a meter with very dense and incredibly spectacular decorative panicles. The stems of this plant are usually smooth and geniculate, and its fibrous root system penetrates very deep into the soil. Long and straight, even leaves of the setaria are usually pointed and have small cilia at their ends.
The inflorescences of the setaria are characterized by a cylindrical shape, however, occasionally you can also meet lobed panicles equipped with miniature twigs with spectacular spikelets. And the two-flowered spikelets of this plant are densely covered in a circle with tiny bristles. The beautiful setaria blooms usually in the summer, in the second half of it.
Setaria fruits look like caryopses enclosed in flower scales and compressed from the back, which usually ripen in August or September. Each caryopsis looks like an oval egg and is colored in brown, green or yellow shades.
In total, the genus Setaria has about one hundred and fifty species of plants.
Where grows
Setaria is widespread almost all over the world. Especially often this plant can be seen in fields, pebbles and riverine sands.
Usage
In culture, only one type of setaria is currently grown - this is Italian setaria. This beauty will look best in group compositions. No less often, ponds are also made out with its help. Setaria looks especially good in combination with blueheads and all kinds of ground cover plants. And this plant is quite successfully used to compose a wide variety of original green compositions and, of course, to create dry bouquets!
Among other things, some varieties of Setaria are considered to be the oldest forage and food plants. And in the crops of millet, the setaria is considered a weed at all. By the way, setaria grains are very similar in shape to millet grains, which is why some varieties of this plant are also called millet. But from the grains of millet we get a very tasty porridge!
Setaria has found its application in traditional medicine. This plant has proven itself especially well in the treatment of spleen inflammation. And the seeds of this beauty contain substances that help to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In general, the means made on the basis of the setaria are endowed with the ability to improve vision, as well as normalize the functioning of the genitourinary sphere and the digestive system. And the infusions prepared from its roots perfectly heal burns and wounds, stop bleeding, and also quickly heal the bites of both insects and various animals.
Growing and caring
It is best to plant a setaria in sunny areas with absolutely any garden soils. It is possible to water this beauty only occasionally (regular watering is required only when growing seedlings or at the very initial stage of growing in open ground), since it is characterized by a fairly high drought resistance. But, unfortunately, this plant is unable to winter safely in the middle lane.
Setaria is propagated by seeds, which are sown in April for seedlings or in May immediately in open ground. The seeds of this plant germinate very quickly, in addition, they simply adore light and are absolutely not afraid of either drought or frost. And in order to get lush bushes, it is recommended to sow several dozen seeds nearby at once. It is noteworthy that each plant is endowed with the ability to form from five to ten thousand seeds, which do not lose their viability in the soil for a whole decade!
