A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y X Z

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habit (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

leaves and seed-heads (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

mature fruit with broad-based and narrow spines (Photo: Rob and Fiona Richardson)

Cenchrus longispinus

Scientific Name

Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fern.

Synonyms

Cenchrus pauciflorus Benth. var. longispinus (Hack.) Jansen & Wachter
Cenchrus tribuloides L. (misapplied)

Family

Gramineae (South Australia)
Poaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)

Origin

Native to North America (i.e. southern Canada, USA and Mexico), Central America and possibly some parts of South America (i.e. Venezuela and Argentina).

Naturalised Distribution

This widespread species is found mostly in the sub-coastal areas of south-eastern Australia. It is most common in south-eastern South Australia, north-western Victoria and south-western New South Wales. Scattered populations occur in other parts of these states as well as in southern Queensland, south-western Western Australia, the ACT and the southern parts of the Northern Territory.

Notes

This short-lived grass is most commonly encountered in irrigated agricultural areas and along roadsides. However, spiny burrgrass (Cenchrus longispinus) also invades native rangelands, grasslands, open woodlands, coastal environs and other sandy sites. During a recent survey, it was listed as a priority environmental weed in three Natural Resource Management regions.