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Poaceae FAMILY

Cenchrus biflorus

Cenchrus biflorus

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant's spiny inflorescences may injure humans and grazing animals[1, 2]. The reflexed hooks of the bristles on the burs of the inflorescence are pungent and adhere to clothing and pierce the skin[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual
Growth—

Cenchrus biflorus is mostly found in semi-arid and arid regions of the tropics and subtropics, where it grows at elevations up to 1,300 metres[1]. Its northernmost dispersal in Africa is considered to mark the limit of the Sahel[2]. It is found in areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 250 - 650mm[1]. It grows in areas that do not experience frost[3]. Requires a sunny position in a light, well-drained soil[3]. In spite of its usefulness, the plant is often considered to be a noxious weed of cultivation. It is aggressive in growth and tends to replace other grasses in mixed swards; the spiny inflorescences may injure humans and livestock and cause infection; these inflorescences adhere to hairs of animals and clothes, making possible the plant's wide dispersal[1, 2]. The plant photosynthesizes by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the 'C4 carbon-fixation pathway', this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[4, 1].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. The optimum temperature for seed germination is 35°c[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cenchrus+biflorus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  2. [2]The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. — Burkil. H. M. · Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. · 1985 - 2004 ↩︎Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
  3. [3]Grassland Species - Profiles — http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm ↩︎Terse information on over 650 species of plants that grow in grassland, including trees, shrubs and perennial plants as well as grasses. Gives a brief description of the plant, its range and habitat and some of its uses.
  4. [4]Lost Crops of the Incas — Popenoe. H. et al · National Academy Press · 1990 · ISBN 0-309-04264-X ↩︎An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
  5. [5]Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 1 Grains. — National Academy Press · 1996 · ISBN 0-309-04990-3 ↩︎Masses of information on about 70 species of plants that have been utilized for their edible seeds in Africa.
  6. [6]Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). — Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. · Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎