Cenchrus biflorus
Plants annual. Culms 5-150 cm, erect. Sheaths keeled, glabrous, scabrous, or slightly pubescent; ligules 1.3-2 mm; blades 2-35 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, flat, glabrous or scabrous (sparsely pilose). Panicles 2-15 cm; fascicles 4-11 mm long, 2-4.5 mm wide; bristles 30-60; outer bristles numerous, less than 1/2 as long as the inner bristles, terete; inner bristles 2.9-7 mm long, 0.2-1.1 mm wide, flattened, with 1-3 grooves abaxially, fused only at the base, forming a shallow disk, retrorsely scabrous, inner margins long-ciliate. Spikelets 1-3(4) per fascicle, 3.5-6 mm long, 1.2-1.9 mm wide; lower glumes 0.5-2.5 mm; upper glumes 2.5-4.9 mm, 3-5-veined; lower lemmas 3.2-5.5 mm, 4-5-veined; upper lemmas 3.4-5.9 mm; anthers about 1.5 mm. Caryopses 2-3.4 mm long, 1-3.5 mm wide, ovoid. 2n = 34.
Discussion
Cenchrus biflorus is widely distributed from Africa to India. It was collected once in Westchester County, New York, but has not become established in the Flora region.
Selected References
None.