Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus procerus (Stapf) Morrone

First published in Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 129 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Uganda to Kenya. 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms wiry, 50–150 cm. high, 1–3 mm. diameter at the base.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades narrow, often almost filiform, 6–20 cm. long, 1–4 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicles axillary, slender, 2–4 cm. long, gathered into a scanty false panicle; rhachis with rounded ribs and distinct peduncle-stumps, usually scaberulous; involucre reduced to a single bristle beneath each spikelet; bristle glabrous, 6–36 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly elliptic, 3–4 mm. long; glumes 0.4–0.7 mm. long, truncate or obtuse; lemmas as long as the spikelet, membranous, scaberulous, the lower barren.
Figures
Fig. 157.
Habitat
Clefts in rock outcrops; 1300–2300 m.
Distribution
only known from East Africa K2 K3 K4 U1 U3
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect; slender; 50-150 cm long; 1-3 mm diam.; wiry. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 6-20 cm long; 1-4 mm wide; firm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; scanty. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Panicle spiciform; linear; 2-4 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; 6-36 mm long; terete; flexible; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3-4 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 elliptic; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3-4 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; 0.4-0.7 mm long; 0.5-0.75 length of upper glume; 0.1-0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 0.4-0.7 mm long; 0.1-0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.
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; scaberulous; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3-4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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