Cenchrus ciliaris L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Pennisetum cenchroides (L.)Rich.; Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Lk.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: shui niu cao

English: African foxtail grass, anjan grass, buffelgrass

French: cenchrus cilié

Spanish: pasto buffle, zacate buffle

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial [grass], sometimes short-rhizomatous and forming mats or tussocks; culms ascending, 10-150 cm tall, 1-2 mm in diameter, wiry or sometimes almost woody at base, sometimes many-branched from lower or basal nodes.  Sheaths keeled, glabrous or sparsely pilose; ligule a densely ciliate membrane 0.5-2.5 mm long; blades 3-25 cm long, 2-13 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose, apex caudate.  Inflorescences paniculate, gray, purple, or yellowish, densely cylindrical to ovoid, 2-14 cm long, 1-2.6 cm wide, rachis angular and puberulent; burs 6-16 m long, bristles connate only at base to form a disk 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, inner bristles much exceeding spikelets, 1 of them longer and stouter than the rest, at least the longest somewhat flattened at base, sparsely or densely ciliate above, flexuous, often wavy, antrorsely scaberulous, outer bristles filiform; spikelets 1-4 per bur, 2-5.5 mm long, dorsally compressed, lanceoloid; glumes distinct, first glume membranous, 1-nerved, 1-3 mm long, second glume 1-3-nerved, 1.3-3.5 mm long; palea 2.5-5 mm long, enclosing a staminate flower; second lemma thin, 5-nerved, 2.2-5.4 mm long.  Caryopsis turgid, ovoid, 1.4-1.9 mm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter."  (Wagner et al., 1999)"This species is very similar to species of Pennisetum.  The bristles of the involucre in Cenchrus are connate, while those in Pennisetum are distinct.  Cenchrus ciliaris has the least connate involucral bristles in the genus and thus has been alternately placed in both genera"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1512).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Grass- and shrubland, arid rangeland.  A native of semi-arid areas, the grass grows mainly in open bush and grassland.  It is very drought resistant but cannot stand flooding for more than a week.  Where invasive, the grass forms dense mats or tussocks that displace native grassland communities and reduce their species richness.  The dried shoots provide excellent fuel for fires and thus increase fire hazards.  The cover of this grass may increase rapidly after a fire.  Once established, the grass will withstand considerable grazing"  (Weber, 2003; p. 94).  The dried shoots provide an excellent fuel for fire, from which the plant recovers rapidly by basal shoots. It is a fire-enhanced species as its cover increases with each succeeding fire.

In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in dry areas and sandy soil in a wide variety of disturbed habitats, 0-120 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1512). In New Caledonia, "introduit paraît-il récemment dans les pâturages des secteurs secs de la côte Ouest. Parfois spontané" (MacKee, 1994; p. 58). In Australia, "in disturbed areas; often around urban areas such as school grounds, homesteads, parks, roadsides, on and near coastal sand dunes, along creeks and swamp margins" (Smith, 2002; pp. 70-71).

Propagation:  Seed, largely spread by wind (Smith, 2002; pp. 70-71).

Native range:  Africa and tropical Asia.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 55) As Pennisetum cilliare (L.) Link
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 357) Voucher cited: DA 15390 Naturalized.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 31564) Taxon name on voucher: Cenchrus ciliaris L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 357) Vouchers cited: DA 11844, DA 12579, DA 3961, DA 7457, DA 3583, DA 9040 Naturalized.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1955) (voucher ID: BISH 31562) Taxon name on voucher: Cenchrus ciliaris L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1955) (voucher ID: BISH 31563) Taxon name on voucher: Cenchrus ciliaris L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 11475 (PAP) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1992) (voucher ID: BISH 643983) Taxon name on voucher: Cenchrus ciliaris L.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512) Voucher cited: Ewart III 258 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau, Lehua Islet	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya (2006) (p. 25) Voucher cited: Flynn et al. 4848 (BISH, PTBG, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1512)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Pearl and Hermes Reef	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim (1999) (p. 19) There is a small patch (about 300 plants) located inland on the eastern side of the island
Kiribati Phoenix Islands	Kanton Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R./Stoddart, D. R. (1994) (p. 43) Voucher cited: Fosberg & Stoddart 54771 (US, HAW, K), Fosberg & Stoddart 54905 (US, HAW, K)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 55)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 58) Vouchers cited: MacKee 37820, Morat 6704
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 236) Vouchers cited: CHR 168751, CHR 168755
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 47) Uncommon. Voucher cited: Sykes 1332
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced	Henty, E. E. (1969) (p. 46)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 56)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka and Foa Islands	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 71)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 59)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 51)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2001) (p. 65)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim (2000) (p. 11) Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 990427-1 (BISH)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-5)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. (1985) Morat & Veillon, 1985, cited in Meyer, 2007

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 28)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 70)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Smith, Nicholas M. (2002) (p. 70)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 28)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 28)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Pastures and weedy places, introduced.

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Cocos (Keeling) Islands	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 38)

Comments:  A problem species in Hawai’i and Australia.

Control:  Additional control information from the Bugwood Wiki.

Physical:  "A valued forage in dryer pastures"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Chemical:  "Sensitive to glyphosate. Preemergence and postemergence control by drizzle application of hexazinone effective"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Additional information:
Excerpt from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).
Information from the Bugwood Wiki.
Information from the Purdue University NewCROP web site.
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

Additional online information about Cenchrus ciliaris is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cenchrus ciliaris as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cenchrus ciliaris may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1955. Voucher specimen #BISH 31562 (Koroiveibau, D. 9049).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1955. Voucher specimen #BISH 31563 (Koroiveibau, D. 9040).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 31564 (Kuruvoli, J.T. 15390).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1992. Voucher specimen #BISH 643983 (Florence 11475).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Fosberg, F. R./Stoddart, D. R. 1994. Flora of the Phoenix Islands, central Pacific. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 393. 60 pp.

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 142 pp. + plates.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henty, E. E. 1969. A manual of the grasses of New Guinea. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 1. Lae, New Guinea. 215 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2007. Rapport de mission sur l'Ile d'Uvea (Wallis & Futuna) du 6 au 17 Novembre 2007: Inventaire preliminaire de la flore vasculaire secondaire [unpublished report]. Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche, B.P. 20981 Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie française. 39 pp.

Morat, Ph./Veillon, J.-M. 1985. Contribution à la connaissance de la végétation et de la flore de Wallis & Futuna. Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat., Paris, 4e sér., 7, section B. Adansonia 3 : 259-329.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Ching, Lincoln/Nagai, Guy. 2002. Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pasture and Natural Areas of Hawaii. Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i. CTAHR free publication WC-8.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1993. Flora of Australia. Vol. 50, Oceanic islands 2. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

Smith, Nicholas M. 2002. Weeds of the wet/dry tropics of Australia - a field guide. Environment Centre NT, Inc. 112 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2001. Report to the Kingdom of Tonga on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 78 pp.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim. 1999. S. S. Midway expedition, May 21, 1999 - June 16, 1999. Trip report prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpublished. 22 pp. plus photos.

Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim. 2000. New plant records from Midway Atoll for 1999. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1999. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 64:10-12.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. Botanical survey of Midway Atoll. Prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 27 pp. plus appendices.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya. 2006. An annotated checklist and new island records of flowering plants from Lehua Islet, Ni‘ihau, Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:19-29.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).