bur bristle grass

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.

The grains can be eaten raw, though are hard and can be bitter; boiling can reduce both of these properties. 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. 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. S. italica and S. viridis are being developed as genetic model systems for the study of monocots and bioenergy grasses. Other species that have been cultivated as crops include S. palmifolia (highland pitpit) of Papua New Guinea, where it is cultivated as a green vegetable; S. parviflora (knot-root foxtail), historically cultivated in Mesoamerica; and S. sphacelata (African bristle grass) of Sudan, a "lost millet" of Nubia.