Setaria is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family.[5][6] The name is derived from the Latin word seta, meaning "bristle" or "hair", which refers to the bristly spikelets.[7]
The genus includes over 100 species distributed in many tropical and temperate regions around the world,[8] and members are commonly known as foxtail or bristle grasses.[2][9][10][11][12][13]
The grass is topped by a cylindrical long-haired head, which tend to droop when ripe. The seeds are less than 6 millimetres (1⁄4 inch) in length.[14]
Numerous species were once considered members of Setaria but have since been reassigned to the following genera: Brachiaria, Dissochondrus, Echinochloa, Holcolemma, Ixophorus, Oplismenus, Panicum, Paspalidium, Pennisetum, Pseudoraphis, Setariopsis, and Urochloa
The grains can be eaten raw, though are hard and can be bitter; boiling can reduce both of these properties.[14]
Several species have been domesticated and used as staple crops throughout history: foxtail millet (S. italica), korali (S. pumila) in India, and, before the full domestication of maize, Setaria macrostachya in Mexico.[18] Several species are still cultivated today as food or as animal fodder, such as foxtail millet and korali (S. pumila), while others are considered invasive weeds.[19] S. viridis is currently being developed as a genetic model system for bioenergy grasses.