SafePlants

Cenchrus longispinus: The Spiny Burr Grass

Cenchrus longispinus, commonly known as Spiny Burr Grass or Gentle Annie, is a grass species with a notable presence in various regions. It also goes by several other common names.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant's "burrs" are clumped fruits with sharp, barbed spines.

Considerations for Children

• The plant's "burrs" are clumped fruits with sharp, barbed spines.
• The stiff spines on the burs can puncture and injure human skin.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fernald
• Family: Poaceae (Grass Family)
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Synonyms: Cenchrus carolinianus, Cenchrus echinatus f. longispina Hack, Cenchrus incertus, Cenchrus pauciflorus
• Common Names: Spiny Burr Grass, Gentle Annie, buffelgrasses, sandburs, sand spur, mat sandbur, hedgehog grass, innocent weed, long-spine sandbur, sand burr, burgrass, dubbeltjiegras, klitsgras, sandklits

Distribution and Habitat

• Cenchrus longispinus is found in Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
• Other Cenchrus species are mentioned as being located in Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
• It prefers sandy, disturbed soils.

Ecological Role

• It is considered a weed, sometimes a noxious weed.
• It can infest products and is considered a quarantine weed in some regions, like Russia.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Plants often form large mats.
• Branched stems grow erect or spread, and can grow to 2 feet (0.6 m) in length.
• It can either grow upright or sprawl across the ground forming almost a mat. It grows more prostrate to the ground and also roots at the node and forms a mat.
• Spikes are 1 to 4 inches long of round, spine-covered burs.
• Burs are also reddish and broader than those of field sandbur.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Before seedheads form, cattle and sheep graze mat sandbur.

Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• ISM Herbarium
• Oregon Flora Project