No images found for this plant ID: 9205.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "9205" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
southern sandbur
Scientific Name: Cenchrus echinatus
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual
Other Names:
Southern Sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus)
Cenchrus echinatus, commonly known as Southern Sandbur, is an annual grass found throughout warmer regions. It's important to be aware of its characteristics, especially if you have pets or children who frequent areas where it grows.
Considerations for Pets
- This plant produces burs.
- Mention is made of needing knives, heavy duty gloves, and boots during its season.
Common Names
- Scientific Name: Cenchrus echinatus
- Common Names: Southern Sandbur, Southern Sandspur, Spiny Sandbur, Mossman River Grass (in Australia), Burr Grass, Common Sandbur, Grassbur, Sandspur. Additional names include Abrojo Cabeza de negro, Cachorro, Sandspur, Spiny Burr Grass, Mat Sandbur, and Innocent Weed.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Synonyms: burgrass, common sandbur, field sandbur, konpeito-gusa, sandburr, se mbulabula, vao tui tui.
- Family: Poaceae
Distribution and Habitat
- Southern Sandbur is prevalent throughout the warm areas of the southern United States, stretching from Virginia to California.
- It is also found in Brazil, Latin America, Hawaii, Africa, and parts of Australia.
- This grass typically grows in pastures, cropland, agricultural land, and other disturbed areas.
Morphological Characteristics
- Southern Sandbur is an erect, tufted annual grass.
- It typically grows to a height of 30-90 cm.
- The stems are often flattened and dark green, sometimes prostrate and rooting at the lower nodes.
- The plant is a warm-season, tufted, annual grass arising from a geniculate base.
- Roots are fibrous and shallow, occasionally rooting at the nodes.
- Stems are frequently reddish at the base.
Ecological Role
- It is considered a weed in various agricultural and residential settings, including turfgrass.
- It can be difficult to distinguish from other sandbur species like field sandbur (Cenchrus spinifex) and longspine sandbur.
Quirky Facts
- One source mentions it's "goat head or southern sandbur season" implying a specific time of year where its presence is particularly noticeable or troublesome.
- The USDA PLANTS database symbol for Southern Sandbur is CEEC.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- This plant can interfere with the growth of other plants, such as Large Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis).
Further Information
- USDA PLANTS Database: Symbol CEEC
- South Carolina Plant Atlas: http://cricket.biol.sc.edu/herb/
- Clemson University Extension Fact Sheet, Grassy