Poaceae
Cenchrus

Cenchrus robustus R.D.Webster

First published in Austral. Paniceae: 27 (1987)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Queensland to ENE. New South Wales. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 40-100 cm long; 10-20 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1-1.5 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades 6-22 cm long; 3-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; 4-8 cm long. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with sessile scars on axis. Panicle axis angular; scabrous; bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Spikelets subtended by an involucre. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1-2 in the cluster. Involucre composed of bristles; connate into a disc below; with 0.5 mm connate; elliptic; 9-13 mm long; base bluntly stipitate. Involucral bristles deciduous with the fertile spikelets; numerous; in one whorl; 45-60 in principal whorl; 9-13 mm long; terete; rigid; retrorsely scaberulous; pubescent (below); spinose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 7.3-9 mm long; 1.5-1.9 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 7.3-9 mm long; 1.5-1.9 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.9-1.1 mm long; 0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline, or membranous; without keels; (0-)1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.8-4.1 mm long; 0.33-0.55 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 7.3-9 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; distinctly veined; smooth, or scaberulous; rough on veins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5-9 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea coriaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 2.9-3.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Paniceae. Webster 1996.
[GB]

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]

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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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