Helmisulkahirssi – Cenchrus americanus

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.