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Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fernald

Overview

General Information

ID Info

Similar Species

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Renseignements Généraux

Informations D'identification

Espèces Semblables

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Family :

Famille :

Poaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Cenchrus echinatus L. f. longispinus Hack. (USDA-ARS 2021)

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Long-spined sandbur
(English) (GC 2016)

Cenchrus à épines longues (French) (GC 2016)

Mat sandbur (English) (FNA 1993+)

Cenchrus longispinus burrs

Cenchrus longispinus burrs
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Cenchrus longispinus
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, top view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) spikelets
Cenchrus longispinus (long-spined sandbur) floret; palea view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) palea, caryopsis and lemma
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) caryopsis
Cenchrus longispinus

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

CFIA Weed Seeds Order - Class 2: Primary Noxious Weed Seeds
Quarantine lists of countries e.g. China *may be updated without notice

Regulation Notes:

Distribution :

Répartition :

Native to North and South America (USDA-ARS 2021). Introduced to parts of Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe (CABI 2021). In Canada, the species occurs in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec (Brouillet et al. 2010+).

Habitat and Crop Association :

Habitat et Cultures Associées :

Cultivated fields, irrigated orchards, vineyards, beaches, roadsides, railway lines, and other disturbed areas (Boydson 1997; Darbyshire 2003). A weed of Zea mays (corn) in the Great Plains region of North America (Anderson 1997).

Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

Duration of Life Cycle :

Durée du cycle vital:

Annual

Dispersal Unit Type :

Type d’unité de dispersion :

Fascicle

Distribution of Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fernald in Canada and the United States (source: FNA 1993+)

Global distribution of Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fernald (source: GBIF 2022)

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General Information

RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

The fascicles of Cenchrus longispinus may be transported by farm equipment, contaminated hay, and other forage crops. Floating fascicles may travel through field irrigation into ditches (California Department of Food and Agriculture 2013).

Identification

Fascicle

Size
- Fascicle length* : 4.8 – 9.7 mm ; width: 3.9 – 6.5 mm
*Note: minimum and maximum of 10 fascicles in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)
Shape
- Fascicles are globose-shaped
Surface Texture
- Fascicles are densely covered in stiff spines, bristles and surface hairs
Colour
- Fascicle colour is dull or shiny straw yellow with purple-tipped spines
Other Features
- Fascicle has 2 types of spines: a series of flattened spines with fused bases and a ring of thin bristles around the base
- Fused spines are 0.5 – 0.9 mm wide at the base (Barkworth et al. 2003)
- Total number of bristles and spines is 45-75 (Barkworth et al. 2003)
- There are generally 2-3 spikelets in each fascicle (Barkworth et al. 2003)
Cenchrus longispinus burrs
Spikelet

Size
- Spikelet length: 5.8 – 7.8 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003)
Shape
- Spikelets are teardrop shaped, compressed in edge view
Surface Texture
- Spikelet surface is smooth with several longitudinal nerves
Colour
- Spikelet is shiny light yellow coloured
Other Features
- Glumes are thin and papery textured
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) spikelets
Floret

Size
- Floret length*: 4.8 – 6.5 mm; width: 2.3 – 3.0 mm
*Note: minimum and maximum of 10 florets in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)
Shape
- Florets are teardrop-shaped, compressed in edge view
Surface Texture
- Floret surface is granular textured
Colour
- Floret is shiny light yellow coloured
Other Features
Callus and Rachilla
- Callus is small, round and slightly raised, no rachilla present
Other features
- A U-shaped ridge is at the wide end of the lemma
- Two longitudinal nerves run the length of the palea
Cenchrus longispinus (long-spined sandbur) floret; palea view
Caryopsis

Size
- Caryopsis length: 2.0 – 3.8 mm; width: 1.5-2.6 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003)
Shape
- Caryopsis is oval-shaped, compressed in edge view
Surface Texture
- Caryopsis surface is smooth
Colour
- Caryopsis is shiny straw-yellow or light brown coloured
Other Features
- Hilum is round and black-coloured at an end of one side of the caryopsis
- The embryo covers most of one side of the caryopsis
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) caryopsis

Embryo

Size
- Embryo is a rudimentary size compared to the caryopsis
Shape
- Embryo is oval, egg or wedge-shaped, in a lateral position on one side of the caryopsis
Endosperm
- Endosperm is hard and opaque white coloured
Cenchrus longispinus

Identification Tips

CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

C. longispinus fascicles have 45-75 spines and bristles, the highest number of out of all the North American Cenchrus species (Barkworth et al. 2003), and they also have a hairy surface. An intact fascicle and magnification will be required to distinguish between similar Cenchrus species since some may also have fused spines in one or more series and may or may not be hairy.

Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view

Additional Botany Information

AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

Cenchrus longispinus fruits (Plant Gene Resources of Canada, AAFC)

Similar Species

ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

Cenchrus tribuloides L.

C. tribuloides fascicles are generally larger (length*: 9.0 – 10.9 mm; width: 4.5 – 6.3 mm), have fewer spines than C. longispinus (843 spines, Barkworth et al. 2003) and the surface is densely hairy.

*Note: minimum and maximum of 6 fascicles in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

Cenchrus echinatus L.

C. echinatus fascicles are generally smaller (length*: 5.5 – 7.5mm; width: 2.8 – 5.4 mm), have only one ring of partially fused spines, and fewer total spines (5-25 spines, Barkworth et al. 2003) than C. longispinus.

*Note: minimum and maximum of 10 fascicles in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

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Cenchrus echinatus