Poaceae
Enneapogon

Enneapogon cenchroides (Licht.) C.E.Hubb.

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1934: 119 (1934)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa to India. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 75 cm high; basal sheaths remaining intact
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle loosely contracted, often lobed at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Lower glume 5- to 7-nerved, 2.6–3.8 mm long; upper glume 3-nerved, 3.5–5 mm long; fertile lemma 4–7 mm long (including awns), hairy on the back all over; awns ciliate; anthers 1–1.7 mm long; third lemma vestigial, occasionally well developed (but barren), 0.3–2(–3.5) mm long.
Distribution
N1, 2; C1; Africa, Arabia and India
Ecology
Altitude range 670–1430 m.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering. Culms decumbent; 15-100 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3-25 cm long; 3-7 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; lanceolate; continuous, or interrupted; 3-20 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3-4 mm long; 0.6-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; grey; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5-5.5 mm long; 2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; grey; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5-2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 9 -fid; awned; 9 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5-5 mm long overall; limb ciliate. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; subequal to principal; ciliate. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; dissimilar. First apical floret male; oblong; villous. Apical sterile florets barren; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 9 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 0.7-2 mm long; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1-2.7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Embryo 0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.
Reference
Pappophoreae. FTEA.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Common Names

English
(Common) Nine-awned grass, Grey sour grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/