Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus petiolaris (Hochst.) Morrone

First published in Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 128 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Tropical Africa. It is an annual 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. Culms erect; 45-120 cm long; compressible; with prop roots. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate; with a false petiole; petiole 2-12 cm long. Leaf-blades 10-25 cm long; 8-25 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Panicle spiciform; linear; 1.5-3 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis scaberulous; glabrous. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; base obtuse. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; in one whorl; 1 in principal whorl; 10-20 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.1-0.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 0.05-0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.1-0.5 mm long; 0.05-0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; smooth, or scaberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2-3 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTA 1993.
[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

    • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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