✕
Info
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Cenchrus = "millet" [Greek]. However this is a misnomer, the only millet species in this genus is C. americanus, and this was treated as Pennisetum when Cenchrus was erected.
Species etymology: agrimonioides = "resembling Agrimonia Tourn. ex L." [Greek] Agriomia is a genus in the rose family which has a spike-like inflorescence composed of burs
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic
Legal status: USFWS - Endangered
Map
Inflorescence
Spikelets
Description
Perennials; culms robust, 30-200 cm tall, swollen at nodes, internodes short, scabrous below panicle. Sheaths compressed keeled, much longer than internodes, glabrous; ligule membranous, fimbriate, 1—1.2 mm long; blades flat or folded, 20-40 cm long, 5-25 mm wide, upper surface scabrous, lower surface glabrous, midrib prominent. Inflorescence composed of racemes 5—10 cm long, the axis densely puberulent; burs cylindrical to lanceoloid, somewhat reflexed at maturity, fusiform, 8-18 mm long, bur receptacle narrow in lower part, expanding above, 3-4 mm long, densely pubescent, outer series of bristles numerous, somewhat spreading, 2-3 mm long,retrorsely scabrous, the larger ones tomentulose at base, body of bur cleft 4-4 its length, lobes erect, appressed, forming an irregular beak, densely tomentose near middle, apex retrorsely scabrous; spikelets 1 per bur; glumes unequal, scaberulous, first glume 2-3 mm long, 5-7-nerved, awntipped; sterile lemma 5-6 mm long, scaberulous, 5-7-nerved, awn-tipped; sterile palea indistinctly 3-nerved, slightly shorter than lemma, scaberulous on margins and keel near apex; fertile lemma 5-6 mm long, indistinctly 5-nerved, apex acute; fertile palea 4-5 mm Jong, membranous, scaberulous at base, apex acute. Caryopsis ovoid, ca. 2.6 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter.
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )