Cenchrus

Cenchrus is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. Its species are native to many countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands.
Common names include buffelgrasses, sandburs, and sand spur. Such names allude to the sharp, spine-covered burrs characterizing the inflorescences of the members of the genus.
Some botanists include the genus within the related genus Pennisetum.
Species
107 species are currently accepted. They include:
Cenchrus abyssinicus (Hack.) Morrone – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Yemen, Limpopo, Mpumalanga
Cenchrus agrimonioides Trin. – kāmanomano – Hawaiian Islands
Cenchrus alopecuroides
Cenchrus americanus
Cenchrus annuus
Cenchrus arnhemicus (F.Muell.) Morrone – Australia (Western Australia and Northern Territory)
Cenchrus articularis
Cenchrus basedowii
Cenchrus beckeroides
Cenchrus biflorus Roxb. – kram-kram – Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent, and Madagascar
Cenchrus brevisetosus (B.K.Simon) B.K.Simon – Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland)
Cenchrus brownii Roem. & Schult. – North America, South America, and West Indies
Cenchrus cafer
Cenchrus caliculatus Cav. – Australia, New Zealand, and assorted islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans
Cenchrus caudatus
Cenchrus chilensis
Cenchrus ciliaris L. – buffelgrass – Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent, and Sicily; naturalized as a nutritious arid pasture lands in parts of North and South America, Australia, Southeast Asia, and various islands; considered noxious weed in some places
Cenchrus clandestinus (Hochst. ex Chiov.) Morrone
Cenchrus complanatus
Cenchrus × cupreus
Cenchrus distachyus
Cenchrus distichophyllus Griseb. – Cuba
Cenchrus divisus
Cenchrus domingensis
Cenchrus durus
Cenchrus echinatus L. – common sandbur – North America, South America, and West Indies; naturalized in parts of Africa, southern Asia, and various islands
Cenchrus elegans (Hassk.) Veldkamp – Malesia
Cenchrus elymoides F.Muell. – Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland)
Cenchrus exiguus
Cenchrus flaccidus
Cenchrus flexilis
Cenchrus foermerianus
Cenchrus geniculatus
Cenchrus glaucifolius
Cenchrus gracilescens
Cenchrus gracillimus Nash – West Indies and southeastern USA
Cenchrus henryanus
Cenchrus hohenackeri
Cenchrus hordeoides
Cenchrus intectus
Cenchrus lanatus
Cenchrus latifolius
Cenchrus laxius
Cenchrus ledermannii
Cenchrus longisetus
Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fern. – mat sandbur – Canada, USA, and Mexico
Cenchrus longissimus
Cenchrus × longistylus
Cenchrus massaicus
Cenchrus mezianus
Cenchrus michoacanus
Cenchrus mitis Andersson – Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique
Cenchrus monostigma
Cenchrus multiflorus J.Presl – Mexico, Central America
Cenchrus mutilatus
Cenchrus myosuroides Kunth – North America, South America, and West Indies
Cenchrus nanus
Cenchrus nervosus
Cenchrus nodiflorus
Cenchrus nubicus
Cenchrus occidentalis
Cenchrus orientalis
Cenchrus palmeri Vasey – Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Arizona
Cenchrus pennisetiformis Steud. – Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and Indian Subcontinent
Cenchrus peruvianus
Cenchrus petiolaris
Cenchrus pilcomayensis
Cenchrus pilosus Kunth – central Mexico to northern Chile
Cenchrus pirottae
Cenchrus platyacanthus Andersson – Galápagos
Cenchrus prieurii (Kunth) Maire – Sahara, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent, and Myanmar
Cenchrus preslii
Cenchrus procerus
Cenchrus prolificus
Cenchrus pseudotriticoides
Cenchrus pumilus
Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone – Africa and Oman
Cenchrus qianningensis
Cenchrus ramosus
Cenchrus rigidus
Cenchrus riparius
Cenchrus robustus R.D.Webster – Queensland and New South Wales
Cenchrus rupestris
Cenchrus sagittatus
Cenchrus schweinfurthii
Cenchrus setaceus – tender fountain grass, crimson fountaingrass – northern Africa and southwestern Asia; naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, and scattered places in Europe and the Americas
Cenchrus setiger Vahl – Sahara, East Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Cenchrus shaanxiensis
Cenchrus sichuanensis
Cenchrus sieberianus
Cenchrus somalensis Clayton – Somalia
Cenchrus sphacelatus
Cenchrus spinifex Cav. – coastal sandbur – North America, South America, and West Indies
Cenchrus squamulatus
Cenchrus stramineus
Cenchrus tempisquensis
Cenchrus thulinii
Cenchrus trachyphyllus
Cenchrus tribuloides L. – sanddune sandbur – North America, South America, and West Indies
Cenchrus trisetus
Cenchrus tristachyus
Cenchrus uliginosus
Cenchrus unisetus
Cenchrus violaceus
Cenchrus weberbaueri
Cenchrus yemensis
Formerly included
Several species are now considered better suited to other genera: Anthephora, Centotheca, Dactyloctenium, Echinaria, Echinolaena, Hackelochloa, Hilaria, Pennisetum, Phragmites, Scleria, Setaria, Trachys, Tragus, Tribolium.
See also
List of Poaceae genera
References
External links
Poaceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus