Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus preslii (Kunth) ined.

First published in (XXXX)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Venezuela and W. South America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
[UPFC]

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; robust; 600-800 cm long; 10-20 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes thin-walled; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1-4 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a false petiole. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20-40 cm long; 20-50 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; flexuous; 6-10 cm long; 1-2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; oblong; base obtuse; base 0.3 mm long; base pubescent. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; with an outer whorl of thinner bristles; 40 in principal whorl; inner bristles longer than outer; 16-18 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 ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.9-5.2 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; acute; 3.9-5.2 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, or orbicular; 0.4 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1-2 mm long; 0.15-0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5-6 -veined; caudate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.66 length of lemma. Fertile lemma ovate; 3-4.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 1.5-2 mm long.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Meso-Amer 2004.
[GB]

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
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0