Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 3000 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

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

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/13490755/13490765

Conservation

LC - least concern

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

Perrenial; caespitose. culms 20-130 cm long

Morphology Leaves Ligules

ligule a fringe of hairs

Morphology Leaves

leaf-blades convolute; 15-30 cm long; 1-3 mm wide; stiff; glaucous leaf-blade midrib widened

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

inflorescence: panicle spiciform; linear; 6-30 cm long primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. panicle axis angular; glabrous, or pilose; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. spikelets subtended by an involucre

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma lnvolucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 16-40 mm long; terete; flexible; plumose fertile spikeletsspikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 1-3 in the cluster; 1 sessile lnvolucre composed of bristles; oblong; 12-26 mm long; base bluntly stipitate (1-3mm); base pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

flowerlodicules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

anthers 3; 2.5--3.5 mm long; anther tip smooth

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

styles connate below

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

caryopsis yellowish-brown, smooth.

Ecology

stony slopes and open dry places. altitude:300 - 1640 m

Distribution

Southeastern Europe, North Africa, Tropical macronesia, Western and tropcal Asia. Australia and new zealand.

Conservation

Near endangered

Phenology

Flower (all year), fruit (all year)

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted perennial.

Morphology Culms

Culms 20–130 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf laminae convolute with midrib noticeably thickened on upper surface, rigid, harsh, glaucous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 6–30 cm. long, linear; rhachis cylindrical with shallow angular ribs below the stumpless scars, glabrous to pilose; involucre borne upon a slender pubescent stipe 1–3 mm. long, enclosing 1–3 spikelets, one of them sessile the others shortly pedicelled; bristles, at least the inner, shortly plumose, the longest 16–40 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 4.5–6.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Inferior glume up to 1/3 length of spikelet, usually subrotund, sometimes suppressed; superior glume 1/4–2/3 length of spikelet.

Inferior

Inferior lemma as long as spikelet.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Superior lemma similar to inferior, occasionally the rhachilla prolonged as a tiny bristle. Inferior lemma as long as spikelet.

Superior

Superior lemma similar to inferior, occasionally the rhachilla prolonged as a tiny bristle.

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

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted perennial

Morphology Leaves

Hard glaucous leaf-blades.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Culms 20-130 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 15-30 cm long; 1-3 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib widened.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; 6-30 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; glabrous, or pilose; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 1-3 in the cluster; 1 sessile. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 12-26 mm long; base bluntly stipitate (1-3mm); base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; with one conspicuously longer bristle; 16-40 mm long; terete; flexible; plumose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5-6.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, or orbicular; 0.1-0.33 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 0.25-0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; mucronate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-3(-5) -veined; scaberulous; rough on veins; acuminate; mucronate. Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5-6.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2.5-3.5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Styles connate below.

Distribution

Europe: southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted perennial up to 130 cm high, the stems usually unbranched; leaves inrolled with noticeably thickened midrib on the upper surface, rigid, harsh, glaucous; ligule a line of hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear, 6–30 cm long; rhachis with shallowly angular ribs below the stumpless scars, glabrous to pilose; involucre enclosing 1 sessile and 0–1(–2) pedicelled spikelets, borne upon a slender pubescent stipe 1–3 mm long; bristles loosely plumose, the longest 16–40 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets lanceolate, (4.5–)5–7 mm long; lower glume vestigial or up to 2 mm long; upper glume 1/5–2/3 the length of the spikelet; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, male or barren, acuminate; upper lemma similar to the lower.

Distribution

N1–3 North and North-east Africa and South-west Asia.

Ecology

Altitude range 1200–1800 m.

Vernacular

Arabjeb, arablab, baldoli (Somali).

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

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted perennial; culms 20–130 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades up to 30 cm. long and 3 mm. wide, convolute with the midrib noticeably thickened on the upper surface, rigid, harsh, glaucous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear, 6–30 cm. long; rhachis cylindrical with shallow angular ribs below the stumpless scars, glabrous to pilose; involucre borne upon a slender pubescent stipe 1–3 mm. long, enclosing 1–3 spikelets, one of them sessile the others shortly pedicelled; bristles, at least the inner, loosely plumose, the longest 16–40 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets lanceolate, 4.5–6.5 mm. long; lower glume occasionally ovate and up to 1/3 the length of the spikelet, usually shorter and subrotund, sometimes suppressed; upper glume 1/4–2/3 the length of the spikelet; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, ♂ or barren, acuminate; upper lemma similar to the lower; occasionally the rhachilla prolonged beyond the upper lemma as a tiny bristle.

Habitat

Stony slopes and dry open places; 300–1600 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 Lebanon and Syria, through N. Africa, Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somaliaintroduced to many warm countries as an ornamental