New! - Search other data sources for Cenchrus mitis

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Cenchrus mitis

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 2–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2(–3) in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a cup below; with 2–6 mm connate; ovate, or globose; 6–9 mm long; base obconical. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; inner bristles longer than outer; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 5–9 mm long; flattened; without grooves; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; pubescent (surface), or ciliate (margins); spinose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4–6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous; hairy above; acuminate. Fertile lemma ovate; 4–6 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea coriaceous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.