Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone

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Cenchrus purpureus

Picture: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

Cenchrus purpureus

Picture: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

Cenchrus purpureus

Picture: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

Cenchrus purpureus

Picture: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

Cenchrus purpureus

Picture: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

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Synonyms: Gymnothrix nitens Anderss.
Pennisetum benthamii Steud. var. nudum Hackel
Pennisetum benthamii Steud. var. sambesiense Hackel
Pennisetum benthamii Steud. var. ternatum Hackel
Pennisetum blepharideum Gilli
Pennisetum flavicomum Leeke
Pennisetum gossweileri Stapf & Hubbard
Pennisetum lachnorrhachis Peter
Pennisetum nitens (Anderss.) Hackel
Pennisetum pruinosum Leeke
Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Robust perennial grass, 1–6 m high, often forming large clumps. Leaves up to 120 cm long and 4 cm wide. Inflorescence a racemose panicle 7–30 cm long; rhachis cylindric, with or without short peduncle stumps, pubescent; involucre enclosing 1–5 spikelets, one of them sessile, the others shortly pedicelled; bristles hairless or obscurely ciliate, the longest 10–40 mm long. Spikelets 4.5–7 mm long. Inferior glume suppressed, the superior up to half the length of spikelet or rarely suppressed. Inferior lemma shorter or as long as spikelet. Superior lemma somewhat leathery and shining in the inferior half; anther tips usually bearing a tiny tuft of hairs.
Type location:
Ghana
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: purpureus: purple
Habitat: In riverine areas, in valleys, along forest margins and along roadsides, often on rich soils.
Altitude range: 300 - 1800 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Widespread in tropical Africa; introduced in many countries elsewhere and cultivated as fodder.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca): N,W,C,E,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces): Nw,Lk,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Saturday 27 October 2018
Literature:

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 28.

Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 180 - 181.

Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Pages 53 - 54. As Pennisetum purpureum

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 108. As Pennisetum purpureum

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 134. As Pennisetum purpureum

Other sources of information about Cenchrus purpureus:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Cenchrus purpureus
Flora of Malawi: Cenchrus purpureus
Flora of Mozambique: Cenchrus purpureus
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cenchrus purpureus
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Cenchrus purpureus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Cenchrus purpureus
African Plant Database: Cenchrus purpureus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Cenchrus purpureus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Cenchrus purpureus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Cenchrus purpureus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Cenchrus purpureus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Cenchrus purpureus
JSTOR Plant Science: Cenchrus purpureus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Cenchrus purpureus
Plants of the World Online: Cenchrus purpureus
Tropicos: Cenchrus purpureus
Wikipedia: Cenchrus purpureus


Copyright: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-24

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2024). Flora of Zambia: Species information: Cenchrus purpureus.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=107860, retrieved 19 March 2024

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