Cenchrus pedicellatus (Trin.) Morrone

Veldkamp, J. F., 2014, A revision of Cenchrus incl. Pennisetum (Gramineae) in Malesia with some general nomenclatural notes, Blumea 59 (1), pp. 59-75 : 69

11. Cenchrus pedicellatus (Trin.) Morrone

Cenchrus pedicellatus (Trin.) Morrone in Chemisquy et al. (2010) 128. — Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin.(1834) 184. — Type: Peters in Herb. Trinius 1102.1 (holo LE, microfiche IDC BT-16/1).

Pennisetum holcoides auct. non Schult. (see note).

Annuals. Culms erect, 0.3–1.5 m long, nodes glabrous. Ligule a setose rim to collar, 0.4–1.3 mm long, setae 0.6–1.5 mm long. Blades flat, 5–30 cm by 4–20 mm, margins scaberulous. Peduncle glabrous to pilose below the panicle. Panicle exserted, many-spikeled, 5 –15 cm long, common axis scaberulous to pubescent. Involucre not stipitate, disarticulating at base. Bristles many, rather stiff, densely crinkly pilose around the spikelet (some outer ones excepted), a few distinctly longer than the others, 5–10 mm long, longest bristle 13–18 mm long. Spikelets 1–5 within the involucre, pedicelled (at least the basal one), 3.5–6 mm long. Lower glume 0–3.2 mm long, 0–0.6 times as long as the upper glume; upper glume 3.5–6 mm long, faintly 5-nerved. First lemma paleate, sterile, erosely truncate, membranous, faintly 5-nerved, glabrous, nerves smooth; second lemma 2.1–3.2 mm long, obtuse, chartaceous. Anthers 1.8–3.45 mm long, apex glabrous. 2n = usually 36, also 18, 42, 45, 48, 50, 54.

Distribution — Disjunct in W Africa and India to Burma. Cultivated elsewhere, Malesia: e.g. Philippines (Luzon: La Union).

Habitat — Roadsides, abandoned fields, rubber-, oil palm-, and sugar cane plantations, 0–1100 m altitude in Africa.

Uses — Cultivated for forage and naturalizing. Culms may be woven onto mats, or for thatching.A decoction is considered diuretic, externally as a haemostatic. In the USA considered as a noxious weed.

Vernacular names — Barra grass, Dinanath grass, Hairy fountaingrass, Matting grass.

Notes — Leeke (1907) used the name P. holcoides [Roxb.] Schult. (1824), based on Panicum holcoides Roxb. (1820) , non Jacq. (1814)] for this, which names are not mentioned by Bor (1960). Stapf & Hubbard (1934: 1067) noted that there is no Roxburgh type specimen, while Roxburgh’s drawing (Icon. Ined. 784: CAL, K) ‘probably’ represents P. polystachion .

The differences with P. polystachion are but slight and consist mainly of involucres with the lowermost spikelet distinctly pedicelled. The bristles are generally more densely plumose.