Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Cenchrus longispinus
longspine sandbur, mat sandbur
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Mexico, east to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Sandy river banks and other disturbed, seasonally moist areas.

Flowers: July-September

Origin: Introduced

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Description:
General:

Prostrate, widely matted annual, the culms solid.

Leaves:

Sheaths open, keeled, glabrous; ligules 1-1.5 mm. long with a fringe of hairs 2-4 times as long as the basal membrane; blades flat or folded, 2-6 mm. broad.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a crowded raceme of 5-10 spiny burs; spikelets 2-flowered, usually 2 per bur, 5-6 mm. long, tightly enclosed within and deciduous with the burs; lower flower sterile, upper flower perfect; burs finely pubescent, the spines numerous, flattened, 4-6 mm. in diameter; glumes narrow, shorter than the lemmas.

Accepted Name:
Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fernald
Publication: Rhodora 45(538): 388. 1943. 1943.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Cenchrus carolinianus Walter
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Cenchrus longispinus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Cenchrus longispinus checklist entry

OregonFlora: Cenchrus longispinus information

E-Flora BC: Cenchrus longispinus atlas page

CalPhotos: Cenchrus longispinus photos

30 photographs:
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