Cenchrus purpurascens Thunb.

Veldkamp, J. F., 2014, A revision of Cenchrus incl. Pennisetum (Gramineae) in Malesia with some general nomenclatural notes, Blumea 59 (1), pp. 59-75 : 70

13. Cenchrus purpurascens Thunb.

[ Panicum hordeiforme (L.) Thunb. var. γ Thunb. (1784) 48]. — Cenchrus purpurascens Thunb. (1794) 329. — Pennisetum iaponicum Trin. (1821) 76,non P.purpurascens Kunth (1816) . — Gymnotrix japonica Kunth (1833) 158, nom. superfl. — Pennisetum purpurascens Kuntze (1891) 787, non Kunth (1816b); Makino (1912) 294, isonym. — Lectotype: Herb. Thunberg 1922 (holo UPS; microfiche IDC 1036), designated by Cope (2000) 245).

Panicum alopecuroides L. (1753) 55 (‘ alopecuroid.’), non Cenchrus alopecuroides Thunb. (1794) . — Alopecurus indicus L. (1774) 92, nom.superfl. — Penicillaria ciliata Willd. (1809) 1037 (ref. to the Sp. Pl. is to p. 356, not 336), nom. superfl. — Penicillaria cylindrica Roem. & Schult. (1817) 498, nom. superfl. — Pennisetum alopecuroides Spreng. (1824) 303. — Pennisetum linnaei Kunth (1829) 49,nom.superfl. — Penicillaria alopecuroides Sweet (1826) 440;A. Braun (1855) 25, isonym. — Pennisetum indicum Kuntze (1891) 787, nom. superfl. (incl. var. purpurascens Kuntze , nom. inval.). — Lectotype: Herb.Linn.80.1 (holo LINN),designated by Veldkamp (2000).

Pennisetum compressum R.Br.(1810) 195. — Setaria compressa Kunth(1829) 46. — Gymnotrix compressa Brongn. (1831) 103, t. 9. — Cenchrus compressus Morrone in Chemisquy et al. (2010) 127. — Type: R. Brown 6139 (holo BM; E, K; Herb. Trinius 1093.5, LE, microfiche IDC BT-16/1).

Gymnotrix nigricans J. Presl (1830) 315. — Pennisetum nigricans Trin. ex Steud. (1840) 713. — Type: Haenke s.n. (holo PR).

Pennisetum sordidum Koidz. (1919) 112. — Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng. subsp. sordidum T. Koyama (1987) 379, 521. — Type: Nishimura s.n. (holo TI).

Pennisetum javanicum Ohwi (1947) 13. — Type: Mousset 1101 (holo BO).

Perennials. Culms erect to geniculate at base, not rooting in the decumbent nodes, not stoloniferous, rhizomatous, 0.2–0.8 m long, nodes glabrous. Ligule a setose rim, 0.15–0.3 mm long, setae 1.9–3.4 mm long. Blades involute, 10–45 cm by 0.75–3 mm, margins smooth. Peduncle puberulous to pilose below the panicle. Panicle exserted, few- to many-spikeled, 3–12 cm long, common axis scaberulous to pubescent. Involucre stipitate, disarticulating at base. Stipe glabrous. Bristles few to many, rather stiff, scaberulous, unequal, 8–18 mm long, longest bristle 18–30 mm long. Spikelets 1 within the involucre, sessile, 6.4–9.25 mm long. Lower glume 0.5–2 mm long, 0.17–0.5 times as long as the upper glume; upper glume 2.6–3.9 mm long, 0–1-nerved. First lemma epaleate, acuminate, membranous, 5 –7-nerved, glabrous, nerves smooth; second lemma 6.3–9.25 mm long, membranous. Anthers 3–5.5 mm long, apex glabrous. 2n = 18, 36.

Distribution — Andamans to S China, Japan, to Australia (Queensland to Tasmania), Malesia: Java (Pasuruan, Besuki), Philippines (Luzon: Benguet, Ilicos, Nueva Vizcaya; Mindanao: Zamboanga del Norte). Introduced elsewhere as an ornamental.

Habitat — Sunny, open slopes in Casuarina and Pinus forests, roadsides, locally vegetation-forming, (250–) 915–2400 m altitude. Frost-resistant (Van Steenis on Coert 1203, L).

Uses — Satisfactory grazing for sheep and horses when young, too tough for cattle. Grain a famine food in India. An ornamental.

Vernacular names — Chinese pennisetum, Foxtail fountaingrass, Swamp foxtail (it would grow in moister places then P. setaceum , which is not supported by the Malesian field data).

Note — Distribution disjunct.