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Cenchrus clandestinus
Also called Kikuyo Grass, Kikuyu Grass
Kikuyugrass is a vigorous, rhizomatous perennial grass from East Africa, widely grown as a lawn and pasture grass and often a weed. It spreads quickly by runners and roots at its nodes, so it needs regular mowing and edging to keep it contained.
The tropical grass species Cenchrus clandestinus (previously Pennisetum clandestinum) is known by several common names, most often Kikuyu grass. It is native to the highland regions of East Africa that is home to the Kikuyu people. Because of its rapid growth and aggressive nature, it is categorised as a noxious weed in some regions. However, it is also a popular garden lawn species in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the southern region of California in the United States, being inexpensive and moderately drought-tolerant. In addition, it is useful as pasture for livestock grazing and serves as a food source for many avian species, including the long-tailed widowbird. The flowering culms are very short and "hidden" amongst the leaves, giving this species its specific epithet (clandestinus).
Pearl millet · Indian sandbur · Buffel grass · Southern sandbur · Mat sandbur · Oriental Fountain Grass · Annual Mission Grass · Elephant Grass · Cenchrus riparius · Crimson Fountaingrass · Birdwood grass · Sandbur
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cenchrus clandestinus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
