Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus multiflorus J.Presl

First published in C.B.Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1: 318 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Central America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Cataphylls evident. Culms 60-140 cm long. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1.3-1.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 16-25 cm long; 8-20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; dense (internodes 0.8-1.7mm); 7-18 cm long; 1.3-1.6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2-4 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a cup below; with 3 mm connate; globose; 6.8-9.6 mm long; base obconical; base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; 20-30 in principal whorl; inner bristles longer than outer; with one conspicuously longer bristle (16-30mm); 6-7 mm long; flattened; without grooves; rigid; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent; attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5.5-6.8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 5.5-6.8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.2-2.9 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5-5.2 mm long; 0.6-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 5-6.1 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5-7 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 5.2-6.6 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 1.9-2.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Paniceae. De Lisle.
Diagnostic
Outer bristles up to half length of body.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0