Cenchrus setaceus

Cenchrus setaceus, commonly known as crimson fountaingrass, is a C4 perennial bunch grass that is native to open, scrubby habitats in East Africa, tropical Africa, the Middle East and south-western Asia. It has been introduced to many parts of the world as an ornamental plant, and has become an invasive species in some of them. It is drought-tolerant, grows fast, reaches 3 feet in height, and has many purple, plumose flower spikes.

Cenchrus setaceus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Cenchrus
Species:
C. setaceus
Binomial name
Cenchrus setaceus
(Forssk.) Morrone
Synonyms
List
  • Pennisetum erythraeum Chiov.
  • Pennisetum numidicum Paris
  • Pennisetum parisii (Trab.) Trab.
  • Pennisetum phalaroides Schult.
  • Pennisetum ruppellii Steud.
  • Pennisetum scoparium Chiov.
  • Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov.
  • Pennisetum spectabile Fig. & De Not.
  • Pennisetum tiberiadis Boiss.
  • Phalaris setacea Forssk.

Environmental threat

Fountaingrass has been introduced to Canarias,[1] Sicily, Sardinia, southern Spain, Australia,[2] South Africa, Hawaii, the western United States,[3] southern Florida and New Caledonia[4]. It thrives in warmer, drier areas and threatens many native species, with which it competes very effectively as an invasive species. It also tends to increase the risk of intense wildfires, to which it is well adapted, thus posing a further threat to certain native species.

  • Ripening seeds of Cenchrus setaceus, In Kannur – Kerala
  • in Hyderabad, India.
  • in Hyderabad, India.
  • Detail of ripening seeds.
  • Invasive, on a lava flow near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

References
  1. "Tackling Exotic Flora in the Teno Rural Park". Secret Tenerife. 28 January 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  2. "Fountain Grass". Weed Identification & Information. Australian Weeds Committee. Archived from the original on 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  3. "Fountain Grass". Alien Plant Working Group. Plant Conservation Alliance. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  4. Hequet, Vanessa (2009). Les espèces exotiques envahissantes de Nouvelle-Calédonie (PDF) (in French). p. 17.
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