Cenchrus prieurii

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–75 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; scaberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 8–30 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle spiciform; linear to oblong; 6–14 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters.

Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a disc below (3mm diam); with 1 mm connate; 15–20 mm long; base obconical. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; inner bristles longer than outer; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 15–20 mm long; flattened; grooved on the face; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 2 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of fertile lemma; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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