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Cenchrus setaceus
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| Cenchrus setaceus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Genus: | Cenchrus |
| Species: | C. setaceus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
List
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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.
Environmental threat
[edit]Fountaingrass has been introduced to the Canary Islands,[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.[5]
In Europe, Fountain grass is included since 2017 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list).[6] This implies that this species cannot be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.[7]
Gallery
[edit]-
Ripening seeds of Cenchrus setaceus, In Kannur – Kerala
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in Hyderabad, India
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Detail of ripening seeds
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Autumn bouquet featuring showy plumes of Cenchrus setaceus (southeastern New York)
References
[edit]- ^ "Tackling Exotic Flora in the Teno Rural Park". Secret Tenerife. 28 January 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
- ^ "Fountain Grass". Weed Identification & Information. Australian Weeds Committee. Archived from the original on 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
- ^ "Fountain Grass". Alien Plant Working Group. Plant Conservation Alliance. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
- ^ Hequet, Vanessa (2009). Les espèces exotiques envahissantes de Nouvelle-Calédonie (PDF) (in French). p. 17.
- ^ "Eradicating invasive alien species: the battle against African fountain grass". Times of Malta. 30 October 2021.
- ^ "List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern - Environment - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ "REGULATION (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European parliament and of the council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species". Archived from the original on 2017-03-03.
External links
[edit]- Sonoran Desert conservation fact sheet Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
Cenchrus setaceus
View on GrokipediaCenchrus setaceus, commonly known as fountain grass or crimson fountaingrass, is a C4 perennial bunchgrass in the family Poaceae, characterized by densely clumped erect stems reaching 0.9–1.2 m in height, narrow flat arching leaves up to 0.6 m long, and showy fluffy inflorescences of pinkish-purple or cream-colored bristles 15–38 cm long borne on off-white spikes.[1][2][3]
Native to open scrubby habitats in northeastern Africa, including Ethiopia, Yemen, and Djibouti, the species thrives in arid to semi-arid environments with annual rainfall below 127 cm, such as roadsides, disturbed sites, grasslands, canyons, and rocky areas.[4][1]
Introduced globally as an ornamental landscape plant since the early 20th century—for instance, to Hawaii in 1914 and the southwestern United States in the 1940s—it has escaped cultivation and established invasive populations across the Mediterranean Basin, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Americas, and Pacific islands, where it rapidly colonizes dry, open, and fire-prone ecosystems.[2][4]
Ecologically, C. setaceus poses significant threats as a highly aggressive competitor that displaces native vegetation through superior resource acquisition, seed dispersal by wind and birds, and adaptation to disturbance; it also elevates wildfire frequency and intensity by providing continuous fine fuels, thereby altering habitat structure and reducing biodiversity in invaded areas.[1][4][2]
Although valued for its aesthetic appeal in gardens and as a source of bird-attracting seeds, its invasiveness has led to regulatory restrictions, including noxious weed listings in regions like Hawaii, Nevada, and South Africa, prompting management efforts focused on prevention, mechanical removal, and herbicide application.[3][4]
