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Cenchrus pennisetiformis
Also called Slender Buffel Grass, Buffel Grass
Cenchrus pennisetiformis, commonly known in Australia as the Cloncurry, white or slender buffel grass, is a species of grass in the genus Cenchrus. It is native to parts of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, and has been introduced to some other parts of the world as a drought-tolerant forage crop.
C. pennisetiformis is a grass suited to growing in arid and semi-arid environments because it remains green and palatable even in the dry season. It grows best on light sandy or silty soils, in either full sun or partial shade, but cannot tolerate heavy, cracking clays. It can withstand moderate frosts and will survive temporary flooding.
In Pakistan there are areas with very low rainfall (under 12 cm (5 in) annually), saline soils and a shortage of water for irrigation. Several species of grasses including C. pennisetiformis, Diplachne fusca, Panicum turgidum and Pennisetum divisum are able to provide good grazing for livestock and even dairy enterprises in these areas. Research has shown that C. pennisetiformis and P. turgidum produce the most forage under drought conditions, and are able to tolerate moderate levels of salinity in the subsoil groundwater, and irrigation with this brackish water.
Cenchrus pennisetiformis is native to East Africa where it is found in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, and to western Asia, where it occurs in Southern Iran, Yemen, India and Pakistan. It is naturalised in northwestern Australia, where it has spread along the banks of watercourses replacing native species of grass. It is also found in the Mediterranean region, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, although it is unclear whether it is native to these areas or has been naturalised.
Kamanomano · Pearl millet · Indian sandbur · African Fountain Grass · Buffel grass · Kikuyugrass · Cenchrus distichophyllus · Southern sandbur · Pacific Fountain Grass · Mat sandbur · Oriental Fountain Grass · Annual Mission Grass
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cenchrus pennisetiformis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
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.
