Cenchrus ramosus (Hochst.) Morrone

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

Morphology General Habit

Tough caespitose annual; culms 50–200 cm. high, erect.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat or folded, 6–30 cm. long, 4–18 mm. wide, with a blunt tip; sheaths keeled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to narrowly oblong, 2–7 cm. long, compact, bristly, the culm scabrid below the panicle; rhachis with sharp decurrent wings below the closely spaced cupular scars, scaberulous; involucre enclosing 1 sessile spikelet, truncate at the base, the single whorl of bristles briefly connate there; bristles glabrous, the longest 10–30 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly ovate to ovate, 5–6.5 mm. long; lower glume small, up to 1 mm.; upper glume 4/5 to as long as the spikelet, the lower lemma similar, ♂ or barren; upper lemma coriaceous, acuminate to acuminate-aristate.

Habitat

Swampy places, particularly on black clays; 500–1500 m.

Distribution

T1 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U3

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Annual, up to 1·2 m. high

Ecology

On seasonally swampy heavy soils.

Morphology General Habit

Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 50-200 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 6-30 cm long; 4-18 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above. Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; 2-7 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis with briefly decurrent ribs; scaberulous; glabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a disc below (slightly); oblong; 5-20 mm long; base truncate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; in one whorl; 12-24 in principal whorl; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 10-30 mm long; terete; rigid; glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 5-6.5 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; 5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1-0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.8-1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 0.8-1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 5-6.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea coriaceous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 1.5-2.5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles free to the base.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.