Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Cenchrus pedicellatus (Trin.) Morrone

Two subspecies are present in Australia:

Cenchrus pedicellatus (Trin.) Morrone subsp. pedicellatum
Cenchrus pedicellatus subsp. unispiculus (Brunken) Morrone

Synonyms

Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin.

supspecies:

Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin. subsp. pedicellatum
Pennisetum pedicellatum  subsp. unispiculum Brunken

Family

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

Common Names

annual kyasuwa grass, annual mission grass, Deenanth grass, feather pennisetum, hairy fountain grass, kyasuma grass, kyasuma-grass, kyasumagrass, kayasuwa grass, kyasuwa grass, Nigeria grass

Origin

Native to tropical Africa (i.e. Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, northern Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana,Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Zambia).

Naturalised Distribution

Deenanth grass (Cenchrus pedicellatus) is widely naturalised in northern and eastern Australia. It is also naturalised elsewhere, including in south-eastern USA (i.e. Florida), Hawaii and New Caledonia.

Cenchrus pedicellatus subsp. pedicellatus is naturalised in northern Queensland, northern Western Australia, the northern parts of the Northern Territory, and on Ashmore Reef.

Cenchrus pedicellatus subsp. unispiculus is naturalised in northern and eastern Queensland, in northern Western Australia, and in the northern parts of the Northern Territory.

Notes

Deenanth grass (Cenchrus pedicellatus) is regarded as an environmental weed in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and as a potential environmental weed in other parts of northern Australia. It was recently listed as an environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region.