Cenchrus L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1049. 1753; Gen. Pl. 5: 470. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 447; 1884; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 7: 89. 1897; Blatter & McCann, Bombay Grasses 185. 1935; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 287. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 116. 1989; Clayton in Tutin et al., Fl. Eur. 5: 264. 1980; Chen & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 552; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 240; Pennisetum Richard, Syn. Pl. 1: 72. 1805; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 92. 1897; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 444. 1884; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 341. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 157. 1989; Chen & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 548; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 232

Annuals or perennials, culms usually branched near the base. Leaf blades narrow, flat or involute; ligule a ciliate rim. Inflorescence a cylindrical spike-like panicle with an angular, often sinuous rachis, composed of spiny or bristly deciduous burrs; burrs sessile or with an obconical basal stipe; each burr with 1 or more sessile spikelets surrounded by involucre; involucre composed of 1 or more whorls of bristles, bristles +/- flattened, grooved on the outer face and often spiny, connate at base for some distance along their length, degree of connation variable from a basal disk to a deep cupule. Spikelets lanceolate to ovate, dorsally compressed, acute to acuminate. Glumes unequal, shorter than spikelets; lower glume half as long as spikelet, sometimes suppressed; upper glume a little shorter than the spikelet. Spikelet with 2 florets; lower floret male or neuter, its lemma as long as the spikelet, membranous; upper floret hermaphrodite, lemma of upper floret as long as spikelet, firmly membranous to coriaceous, 3-5-nerved, its margin covering up to 2/3rd of palea, palea lanceolate. Lodicules absent. Caryopsis elliptic to ovoid, dorsally compressed.

107 species

Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone, Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 127. 2010; Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. 1: 195. 1810; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22; Panicum glaucum L., Sp. Pl. 56. 1753; Pennisetum typhoides (Burm.f.) Stapff. & C. E. Hubb., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 271. 1933; Setaria glauca (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 51. 1812.

Annuals. Culms robust, up to 2.5 m tall, densely pubescent at nodes and below inflorescence. Leaf blades 20-60 cm x 2-4 cm, linear-lanceolate, flat, both surfaces and margin scabrous and wavy, base subcordate; leaf sheath loose, smooth; ligule a ciliate membrane, 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a cylindrical linear spike-like panicle terminal on culms and branches, dense, 30-40 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm; central axis densely pubescent. Spikelets 4-5 mm long, lanceolate-oblong to obovate, sessile or shortly stalked, often in fascicles of 2-5(-9), less oftenly solitary, surrounded by persistent involucre. Basal stipe of involucre densely pubescent, 1-2.5 mm; bristles oftenly shorter than spikelets, almost glabrous to scabrid to densely plumose. Spikelets dorsally compressed, 2-flowered, lower floret male, upper bisexual. Glumes unequal, hyaline; lower glume small, ca. 1.2 mm long; upper glume ca. 2.5 mm x 2 mm, broadly oblong, 3-nerved, apex obtuse, ciliate. Lower floret: Male. Lemma (lower lemma) as long as spikelet, 5-nerved, margins membranous and ciliate, apex also ciliate; palea (lower palea) nearly as long as or slightly shorter than lower lemma, 2- keeled, apex ciliate. Stamens 3; anthers as long as lower palea, apex of thecae with small tuft of hairs. Upper floret: Bisexual. Lemma (upper lemma), palea (upper palea) and stamens as in male floret; upper lemma 5-7-nerved. Stigmas 2, plumose.

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