Enneapogon cenchroides (Licht.) C.E.Hubb.

nine-awned grass, soft feather pappus grass, pappus grass


Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Enneapogon = "nine beard" [Greek] refering to the lemma having nine hairy awns
Species etymology: cenchroides = "resembling Cenchrus L." [Greek] refering to the inflorescence
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 2023

Map

 Distribution of Enneapogon cenchroides in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Enneapogon cenchroides Inflorescence
Enneapogon cenchroides Inflorescence
Enneapogon cenchroides Inflorescence

Plant

Enneapogon cenchroides Plant

Habit

Enneapogon cenchroides Habit
Enneapogon cenchroides Habit
Enneapogon cenchroides Habit
Enneapogon cenchroides Habit
Enneapogon cenchroides Habit

Spikelets

Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets
Enneapogon cenchroides Spikelets

Landscape

Enneapogon cenchroides Landscape
Enneapogon cenchroides Landscape

Description

Tufted robust annual often assuming a perennial appearance; culms wiry below, up to 1 m. high, usually shortly hairy all over. Leaf-blades up to 25 cm. long and 7 mm. wide, involute or flat. Inflorescence a contracted or spike-like panicle up to 16 cm. long. Lower glume 3–4 mm. long, 5–7-nerved; upper glume 3.5–5.5 mm. long, 3-nerved; lowest lemma 1.5–2 mm. long, its awns 2.5–5 mm. long and densely ciliate for much of their length; second lemma smaller, usually ♂; third lemma 0.7–2 mm. long, including the awns which are reduced to a small tuft; anthers 1–1.8 mm. long. Fig. 55/1–8.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D. 1970. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Gramineae (Part 1). Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London. 176 pp. )

Annual up to 75 cm high; basal sheaths remaining intact. Panicle loosely contracted, often lobed at the base. Lower glume 5- to 7-nerved, 2.6–3.8 mm long; upper glume 3-nerved, 3.5–5 mm long; fertile lemma 4–7 mm long (including awns), hairy on the back all over; awns ciliate; anthers 1–1.7 mm long; third lemma vestigial, occasionally well developed (but barren), 0.3–2(–3.5) mm long.
(Description source: Cope, T.A, (1995) Flora Somalia, Vol 4. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, London. 312 pp. )

A loosely caespitose annual or rarely shortly lived perennial, densely glandular-pubescent all over. Culms 15-100 cm. tall, 2-5-noded, rather stout, geniculately ascending, seldom erect, sometimes decumbent, simple or branched below. Leaf-sheaths relatively tight, usually slightly shorter than the internodes, striate, smooth or somewhat asperulous towards the mouth. Leaf-laminae 3-25 x (0.1)0.3-0.7(1) cm., linear to lanceolate-linear, long-tapering to a fine point, expanded or convolute (often only towards the apex), rigid to subflaccid, scaberulous on the upper surface and along the margins. Panicle 3-15(20) cm. long, spike-like, usually dense and contracted, rarely somewhat open below, compact, rarely interrupted. Spikelets 3-5 mm. long, usually crowded, 3-flowered. Glumes slightly unequal, light to dark grey or grey-green; the inferior 2.8-4(5.1) mm. long, 5-7-nerved, ovate; the superior 3.2-5.5(6.8) mm. long, 3-nerved, oblong, often with the apex somewhat truncate. Fertile lemma (the inferior) 1.5-2 mm. long (excluding the awn), dorsally shortly villous; awns 3-4.25 mm. long, plumose up to or beyond the middle. Palea 2-2.25 mm. long, with the keels ciliolate. Anthers 0.8-1.8(2.3) mm. long.
(Description source: Launert, E. & Pope, G.V. (eds.). 1989. Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 10. Part 3. Kew, London. 152 pp )

A loosely caespitose annual or rarely shortly lived perennial, densely glandularpubescent all over. Culms 15–100 cm. tall, 2–5-noded, rather stout, geniculately ascending, seldom erect, sometimes decumbent, simple or branched below. Leafsheaths relatively tight, usually slightly shorter than the internodes, striate, smooth or somewhat asperulous towards the mouth. Leaf-laminae 3–25 × (0.1)0.3–0.7(1) cm., linear to lanceolate-linear, long-tapering to a fine point, expanded or convolute (often only towards the apex), rigid to subflaccid, scaberulous on the upper surface and along the margins. Panicle 3–15(20) cm. long, spike-like, usually dense and contracted, rarely somewhat open below, compact, rarely interrupted. Spikelets 3–5 mm. long, usually crowded, 3-flowered. Glumes slightly unequal, light to dark grey or grey-green; the inferior 2.8–4(5.1) mm. long, 5–7-nerved, ovate; the superior 3.2– 5.5(6.8) mm. long, 3-nerved, oblong, often with the apex somewhat truncate. Fertile lemma (the inferior) 1.5–2 mm. long (excluding the awn), dorsally shortly villous; awns 3–4.25 mm. long, plumose up to or beyond the middle. Palea 2–2.25 mm. long, with the keels ciliolate. Anthers 0.8–1.8(2.3) mm. long.
(Description source: Fernandes, A., Launert, E. & Wild, H. (eds.). 1971. Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 10. Part 1. Crown Agents, London. 152 pp. )