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slender sandbur

Scientific Name: Cenchrus gracillimus

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Cenchrus gracillimus: Slender Sandbur

Cenchrus gracillimus, commonly known as slender sandbur, is a graminoid (grass-like plant) belonging to the genus Cenchrus.

Considerations for Pets

  • The plant produces burs with barbed, slender spines.

Considerations for Children

  • The plant produces burs with barbed, slender spines.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cenchrus gracillimus Nash
  • Common Name: Slender Sandbur
  • Order: Poales
  • Family: Poaceae (grasses, gramines)
  • Genus: Cenchrus L. (sandbur)

Distribution and Habitat

The provided text references the presence of Cenchrus gracillimus in the Florida Keys and Pinellas County, Florida. It is also mentioned as native to certain areas, suggesting a broader distribution.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Growth Habit: Perennial, sometimes forming dense clumps.
  • Culms: 20-80 cm tall, wiry.
  • Sheaths: Shorter than the internodes, keeled, usually glabrous (smooth).
  • Seedhead: A spike of tiny burs. The spikelets are clustered within two layers of bristles that form a bur-like structure. The outer bristles are slender.
  • Burs: Barbed, slender, and often have a purple tinge. Longspine Sandbur has fewer, but broader based spines on burs
  • Leaves: More slender leaves, Longspine Sandbur has smooth leaf blades that are flat or rolled, 4-14 cm long, 3-7 mm wide. Leaf sheaths are usually glabrous but sometimes
  • Stem Bases: often reddish stem bases

Ecological Role

  • Cenchrus gracillimus may invade recently disturbed areas.
  • It can be a troublesome weed in warm-season turf.

Interactions with Other Organisms

The plant is sometimes considered a weed, indicating potential competition with desired plant species.

Further Information

  • USDA PLANTS database
  • Discover Life
  • Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. Washington, DC.
  • Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online