Cenchrus setigerus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb. Culms geniculately ascending; 5–80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–20 cm long; 2–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 2–12 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; 1–3 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a cup below; with 1–3 mm connate; oblate; 3–7 mm long; base obconical. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; in one whorl, or with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; inner bristles longer than outer; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 2–4 mm long; flattened; grooved on the face; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent, or ciliate; obtuse, or spinose.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3–5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; puberulous; emarginate; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–5 mm long; chartaceous, or coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex truncate, or obtuse; mucronate. Palea chartaceous, or coriaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; truncate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central. South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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