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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: × peregrinus = "foriegner" [Latin] refering to origin among invasive species
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - autochtonous
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: #N/A
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
Collar
Description
Plant cespitose, perennial 50–100 cm tall. Leaf sheaths pilose; ligules 1.5 mm long; blades 2-4 mm wide, thin, folded along midvein, sparsely pilose on adaxial surface. Inflorescences both terminal and axillary, 4–15 cm long, partially exerted from their sheaths; inflorescence axis ridged, scabrous and with cilia in lines on ridges; fascicles pediceled, pedicel long hairy, about 1 mm; bristles 10–20 mm long, inner long ciliate; outer antrorsely scabrous, with one primary bristle longer and thicker than others; 1–4 spikelets per fascicle; pedicel of spikelets 0.2 mm long. Spikelets 8–11 mm long; lower glume absent–1.5 mm long, without veins; upper glume 2.5–3 mm long, without veins; sterile lemma 9 mm long, 5 veined; palea of sterile lemma present, 8 mm long; sterile palea enclosing 3 stamens; fertile lemma 9-10 mm long, 7 veined; fertile palea 8 mm long, enclosing 3 stamens; style long exerted, up to 7-10 mm long beyond the floret; anthers 3.8–5 mm long. Caryopses not observed.
(Description source: Faccenda, K, Yorkston, M., Ross, M.C., Morden, C.W. (2024). Spontaneous hybridization among invasive Poaceae in Hawai‘i: Chloris × pseudosagrana nothosp. nov. and Cenchrus × peregrinus nothosp. nov. Phytotaxa 638 (2), 155-164. )