| Monocotyledon | Literature for Cenchrus clandestinus
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999; Veldkamp, 2014. |
| Poaceae -- The Grass Family | Bibliography |
| Cenchrus clandestinus | |
Common name(s): kikuyu grass |
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Originally from the mountains of E. Africa, introduced elsewhere, e.g. Malesia: Malay Pen. (Pahang: Cameron Highlands), Sumatra (Palembang), Java (Cibeureum), Sabah (Pinosok Plateau), Philippines (Luzon), Papua New Guinea (Enga, W Highlands Prov.), and no doubt elsewhere.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Hawai`i. | |
| Habitat | Grasslands on fertile soil subjected to grazing, trampling, and mowing, along paths, and in fallow gardens | |
| Habit |
Perennial; culms mat-forming
stoloniferous, rhizomatous, 0.03–0.15 m long, nodes glabrous; ligule a setose rim, c. 0.15 mm long, setae 1.5–3.4 mm long. |
|
| Leaves |
Leaf blades flat, 2–15 cm by 2–4.5
mm, margins smooth. |
|
| Flowers |
Panicle enclosed in the uppermost sheath, 2–4(–6)-spiked, common axis glabrous; peduncle virtually absent, glabrous below the panicle; involucre not stipitate, disarticulating at base; bristles few, soft, scaberulous, unequal, 2–8.5 mm long, longest bristle 4–8.5 mm long. Spikelets
1 within the involucre, sessile, 16–17 mm long; glumes absent; first lemma epaleate, acuminate, membranous, 9–11-nerved, glabrous, nerves smooth; second lemma 16–17 mm long, acuminate, membranous; anthers 3.9–5.5 mm long, apex glabrous. |
|
| Fruit |
Caryopsis pale brown, obovoid, somewhat dorsally compressed, 2.5-3 mm long, style persistent. |
|
| Chromosomes |
2n = 36, 54 |
|
| Contributor |
Nancy Khan |