Cenchrus ciliaris

Cenchrus ciliaris L., Mant. Pl. 2: 302. 1771; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 289. 1960; Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi f. 237. 1966; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 118. 1989; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 658. 2004; Ramaswamy, Raman & Menon, J. Ind. Bot. Soc. 48: 102. 1969; Clayton in Tutin et al., Fl. Eur. 5: 264. 1980; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 552; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 241; Pennisetum cenchroides Rich. in Pers., Syn. Pl. I: 72. 1805; P. ciliare (L.) Link, Hort. Berol. 1: 213. 1827.

Perennial, tufted or shortly rhizomatous. Culms erect or ascending from a decumbent or stoloniferous base, slender to moderately stout, branched, up to 1 m tall. Leaf sheaths tight, pubescent; leaf blade linear, green or greyish, 10-50 cm x 0.4-1.0 cm, with scattered, tubercle-based hairs; ligule small, membranous, ciliolate. Inflorescence a cylindrical spike-like panicle, 5-13 cm long; angular, sinuous rachis composed of bristly deciduous burrs, burrs contiguous, rachis angular, sinuous, glabrous or puberulous. Each burr with 2-4 sessile spikelets surrounded by involucre; outer involucral bristles numerous, slender, short, eciliate, scabrid; inner involucral bristles 2-3 times or even more ( up to 18 mm) as long as the spikelets, one of them conspicuous and longer than the rest, connate at base to form a shallow disk ca. 0.5-1.0 mm long, somewhat flattened around spikelets, grooved on outer face, ciliate on inner margins, tips extended into filiform flexuous bristles, often wavy, antrorsely scaberulous, clearly exceeding spikelets. Spikelets ca. 5 mm long, acutely lanceolate, 2-flowered. Glumes distinct, ovate-elliptic, 1-nerved, hyaline, acute; 2-3 mm long, lower glume 1/3-1/2 spikelet length and upper glume ca. 1/2 spikelet length. Lower floret: Barren; its lemma (lower lemma) lanceolate, as long as the spikelet, 3-5-nerved, acute, 2-keeled; palea (lower palea) smaller, ca. 2 mm long, oblong, hyaline, 2-keeled in upper half. Upper floret: Hermaphrodite; its lemma (upper lemma) similar and equal to lower lemma or larger. Upper palea nearly equal or larger and similar to upper lemma. Lodicules absent. Stamens 3; anthers oblong, ca. 3 mm long. Styles 2, connate at base; stigmas 2, plumose; ovary glabrous.

Flowering and Fruiting: Almost throughout the year
Common Names: Buffel Grass, Anjan, Dhaman, Baiba, Kusa, Dhamanio