Description:

• Annual or perennial
• Leaf blade expanded, folded, or involute; ligule a fringed membrane to a fringe of hairs
• Inflorescence a cylindrical spike-like panicle; each spikelet or cluster of spikelets enclosed by a deciduous involucre composed of 1 or more whorls of bristles, bristles joined at base, forming a disc below spikelet or some distance above, bristles sometimes ± flattened and/or hardened to form rigid spines enclosing spikelets, thus forming burrs
• Spikelet lanceolate to ovate, dorsiventrally compressed, acute to acuminate; glumes unequal, awnless; lower glume up to half as long as spikelet, hyaline or membranous, 1-5-nerved; upper glume a little shorter than spikelet, 1-7-nerved
• Florets 2; lower floret male or sterile with lemma as long as spikelet, membranous, acuminate, 3-7-nerved, awnless, palea similar to lemma, hyaline; upper floret bisexual, lemma as long as spikelet, similar to firmer than glumes, membranous to chartaceous, not indurated, 5-7-nerved, entire, smooth, flat, with thin margins covering much of palea; palea similar to lemma, hyaline
• Lodicules 0 or abortive
• Stamens 3
• Ovary ovoid; styles plumose above
• Caryopsis ellipsoid to ovoid, dorsiventrally compressed
• x = 9, 12 (aneuploids, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Cenchrus L.
  • Linnaeus: 1049 (1753)
  • Stapf: 431 (1899)
  • Chippindall: 449 (1955)
  • Delisle: 259 (1963)
  • Launert: 45 (1970)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 691 (1982)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 304 (1986)
  • Clayton: 186 (1989)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 79 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 210 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 22, tropical and warm temperate
• Southern Africa: Species 4, 1 indigenous and 3 naturalised, widespread