crimson fountaingrass
Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone
Overview
Crimson fountaingrass is a perennial, bunch grass that grows from 3-4 ft. (0.9-1.2 m) tall. Leaves are narrow, flat, arching, up to 2 ft. (0.6 m) long and purplish in color. Flowering occurs in summer through fall, when off-white/pinkish plumes develop about 1 ft. (0.3 m) above the leaves. Fruits are dry achenes with long bristles (some cultivars do not produce seed). Crimson fountaingrass is native to Africa and was introduced into Hawaii in 1914 and the southwestern United States in the 1940s. Plants were introduced as ornamentals and have now become invasive in the South.
Resources
- Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
- Weed Field Guide - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
- Arizona Noxious Weeds
- California Invasive Plant Council
- Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category II
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- Nevada Noxious Weeds
- New Invaders of the Southwest
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
- New Mexico Noxious Weeds
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Liliopsida |
| Subclass: Commelinidae |
| Order: Cyperales |
| Family: Poaceae |
| Genus: Cenchrus |
| Subject: Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone |
Other System Links
Plants: PESE3
Bayer: PESSA
GRIN: 27214
ITIS: 42013
NPDN Pest: PCACGBC
NPDN Host: 36001
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
fountain grass, fountaingrass
Related Scientific Names:
Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone (Misspelling)
Pennisetum ruppelii (Forsk.) Chiov. (Synonym)
Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. (Synonym)
Phalaris setacea (Forsk.) Chiov. (Synonym)