Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus articularis (Trin.) M.W.Tornab. & W.L.Wagner

First published in PhytoKeys 28: 2 (2013)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Marquesas. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet 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
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15-60 cm long; wiry. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 15-50 cm long; 1-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; 4-10 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; with scattered hairs to pubescent; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; 8-20 mm long; base obconical; base 0.5 mm long; base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; inner bristles longer than outer; with longest bristle scarcely emergent; 8-20 mm long; terete; flexible; antrorsely scaberulous; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0-3 mm long; 0-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3-5 -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5-5.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas pubescent. Styles connate below.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Pacific: south-central.
Reference
Paniceae. Brown 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