Cenchrus caliculatus Cav.

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Poaceae > Cenchrus

Characteristics

Lax clumps from a very short woody rhizome, with trailing culms rooting at lower nodes; branching extravaginal, and intravaginal above. Leaf-sheath longer than internodes, firm, papery, keeled, smooth, minutely scabrid on narrow membranous margin and on ribs below collar. Ligule 1-1.5 mm, a truncate densely ciliate rim. Leaf-blade 7-20 cm × 4-9 mm, linear-lanceolate, rounded-truncate at base, flat, firm, abaxially smooth, adaxially minutely scabrid on ribs; margins somewhat thickened, minutely scabrid, tapered to long, acuminate tip. Culm to 60 cm ×c. 2-3.5 mm diam., terete to ± angled, internodes minutely pubescent-scabrid on ridges below panicle. Panicle (10)-15-25 ×c. 1.5 cm, spike-like; rachis triangular, slightly winged, densely minutely pubescent-scabrid, bearing ovoid clusters of 1-3 spikelets, hidden among bristles and densely, spirally arranged along rachis; clusters 7-10 × 4-7 mm, including involucre of stiff bristles, at first appressed, but finally borne at right angles to rachis; bristles retrorsely barbed, very variable in length, 0.5-11 mm, outermost smaller, terete, inner more planoconvex with margins densely softly long-ciliate, one bristle in each cluster usually exceeding the others. Spikelets 5-6 mm, 2-flowered, < inner bristles, sessile, glabrous, light green, almost colourless. Glumes hyaline; lower 2-3-(4.5) mm, 1-nerved, upper 4-5 mm, 5-nerved. Lower floret: lemma 4.8-6 mm, 5-nerved, scabrid; palea keels ciliate, interkeel minutely hairy, margins scabrid; anthers 1.5-2 mm, brown with thick orange-yellow filaments. Upper floret: lemma 5-5.5 mm, 5-nerved, finely scabrid-papillose; palea very finely scabrid-papillose; anthers as in lower floret; caryopsis 2.2-2.7 mm, ± ellipsoid.
More
Pending.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) -
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
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Optimum temperature (C°) -
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Productivity -

Images

Cenchrus caliculatus unspecified picture

Distribution

Cenchrus caliculatus world distribution map, present in Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Norfolk Island, New Zealand, Pitcairn, Philippines, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:395208-1
WFO ID wfo-0000858568
COL ID 69GM6
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 446281
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Cenchrus australis Cenchrus taitensis Pennisetum calyculatum Cenchrus anomoplexis Pennisetum marquisense Cenchrus laniflorus Cenchrus australis var. latifolius Cenchrus caliculatus