Pearl millet Cenchrus americanus

Description

Stem is slender, 1-3 cm in diameter, often densely villous below the panicle, nodes glabrous to bearded. Sometimes the lower nodes produce thick, strong prop roots. Leaf blade is linear to linear-lanceolate, up to 1.5 m × 8 cm, often pubescent, margins minutely toothed, somewhat rough. Leaf sheath is glabrous or hairy. Ligule is short, membranous, with a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence is a cylindrical, contracted, stiff and compact panicle, 10-50 cm long, 1.5-5 cm in diameter. Rachis is cylindrical, bearing densely packed clusters of 1-5(-9) spikelets, subtended by a persistent involucre of many bristles, mostly 4- 7 mm long. Spikelets are obovate, 3-7 mm long, usually 2-flowered. Fruit is a free-threshing caryopsis (grain), globose to cylindrical or conical, 2.5-6.5 mm long, variously coloured, from white, pearl-coloured or yellow to grey-blue or brown, occasionally purple, hilum marked by a distinct black dot at maturity.

Source: Pinkka e-learning: Tropical Plants of Economic Importance (AGRI-247) - Angiosperms: monocots CC BY 4.0

The map represents observations of this taxon, but it may not be used as a distribution map.

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Observations
  • Total squares
Checklist
MR.1
Scientific name
Cenchrus americanus
Author
(L.) Morrone
Vernacular names
  • helmisulkahirssi (Finnish)
  • pärlhirs (Swedish)
  • Pearl millet (English)
Identifier
http://tun.fi/MX.5009407
Taxon rank
species
Expert
  • Jouko Rikkinen
DNA barcode sequences
Cenchrus americanus
12 public records
Pennisetum glaucum
4 public records
Informal groups
  • Vascular plants