Cenchrus americanus

(L.) Morrone (2010)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Cenchrus

pearl millet

Potentially naturalizing

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form:

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves:

Flowers:

Fruit:

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

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Synonyms (81)

Alopecurus typhoides Burm.f. (1768)

Andropogon racemosus (Forssk.) Poir. ex Steud. (1821)

Cenchrus paniceus B.Heyne ex Wall. (1848)

Cenchrus pycnostachyus Steud. (1854)

Cenchrus spicatus (L.) Cav. (1802)

Chaetochloa glauca (L.) Scribn. (1897)

Chaetochloa lutescens Stuntz (1914)

Chamaeraphis glauca (L.) Kuntze (1891)

Holcus paniciformis Roxb. ex Hook.f. (1896)

Holcus racemosus Forssk. (1775)

Holcus spicatus L. (1759)

Ixophorus glaucus (L.) Nash (1895)

Panicum alopecuroides J.Koenig ex Trin. (1826)

Panicum americanum L. (1753)

Panicum coeruleum Mill. (1768)

Panicum compressum Balb. ex Steud. (1841)

Panicum glaucum L. (1753)

Panicum holcoides Trin. (1826)

Panicum indicum Mill. (1763)

Panicum involucratum Roxb. (1820)

Panicum lutescens Weigel (1772)

Panicum sericeum Aiton (1789)

Panicum spicatum (L.) Roxb. (1814)

Penicillaria arabica A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria deflexa Andersson ex A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria elongata Schrad. ex Schltdl. (1853)

Penicillaria indica A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria involucrata (Roxb.) Schult. (1824)

Penicillaria macrostachya Klotzsch ex A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria mossambicensis A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria nigritarum Schltdl. (1853)

Penicillaria plukenetii Link (1827)

Penicillaria roxburghii A.Braun (1855)

Penicillaria solitaria Stokes (1812)

Penicillaria spicata (L.) Willd. (1809)

Penicillaria typhoidea Schltdl. (1853)

Penicillaria willdenowii Klotzsch ex A.Braun (1855)

Pennisetum albicauda Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke (1907)

Pennisetum americanum convar. spicatum (L.) Tzvelev (1971)

Pennisetum americanum convar. typhoides Tzvelev (1971)

Pennisetum americanum f. echinurus (K.Schum.) Leeke (1907)

Pennisetum americanum subsp. spicatum (L.) Maire & Weiller (1952)

Pennisetum americanum subsp. typhoideum Maire & Weiller (1952)

Pennisetum ancylochaete Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum aureum Link (1827)

Pennisetum cereale Trin. (1834)

Pennisetum cinereum Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum echinurus (K.Schum.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum gambiense Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum gibbosum Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum giganteum Ten. ex Steud. (1841)

Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. (1810)

Pennisetum indicum A.Braun (1855)

Pennisetum leonis Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum maiwa Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum malacochaete Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum megastachyum Steud. (1854)

Pennisetum nigritarum (Schltdl.) T.Durand & Schinz (1894)

Pennisetum nigritarum var. deflexum (Andersson ex A.Braun) T.Durand & Schinz (1894)

Pennisetum nigritarum var. macrostachyum T.Durand & Schinz (1894)

Pennisetum plukenetii (Link) T.Durand & Schinz (1894)

Pennisetum pycnostachyum Stapf & C.E.Hubb. (1933)

Pennisetum solitarium Stokes (1812)

Pennisetum spicatum (L.) Körn. (1885)

Pennisetum spicatum subsp. willdenowii (Klotzsch ex A.Braun) K.Schum. (1895)

Pennisetum spicatum var. echinurus K.Schum. (1895)

Pennisetum spicatum var. longipedunculatum K.Schum. (1895)

Pennisetum spicatum var. macrostachyum K.Schum. (1895)

Pennisetum spicatum var. typhoideum T.Durand & Schinz (1894)

Pennisetum typhoideum Rich. (1805)

Pennisetum typhoideum var. echinurus (K.Schum.) Rendle (1899)

Pennisetum typhoideum var. plukenetii (Link) Rendle (1899)

Phleum africanum Lour. (1790)

Setaria glauca (L.) P.Beauv. (1812)

Setaria lutescens F.T.Hubb. (1916)

Setaria lutescens var. macrocarpa Hook.f. (1896)

Setaria lutescens var. parviflora Munro ex Hook.f. (1896)

Setaria rufa Chevall. (1836)

Setaria sericea (Aiton) P.Beauv. (1812)

Setariopsis glauca (L.) Samp. (1914)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Potentially naturalizing

Island Status

O'ahu Only found in cultivation

Maui Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents

Pollinators

Specimens

Conservation Status

Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment Rating:High Risk

HPWRA Score:12

Bibliography

Name Published In: Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 127 (2010)

Other References

Oppenheimer 2007:29 (NEWNAT/WM [as Pennisetum glaucum], DESCR); Chemisquy et al. 2010:127 (Syn. P. glaucum = C. americanus); Wagner et al. 2012:98 (use Panicum glaucum as replacement name for P. glaucum, not followed); Faccenda 2023c:93, 94, 140 (KEY); Faccenda 2025b:113 (exclude from checklist, no convincing evidence of nat.)

Occurrences

SNo.	Scientific Name	Locality	Habitat	Basis of Record	Description	Recorded By	Record Number	Island	Source	Date
1	Cenchrus americanus	Hono[lulu], Haw. Agr. Sta [Hawaii agriculture experimental station]	Volunteer plant in plot	Preserved_Specimen		Hosaka, E.Y.		Oahu	BISH
2	Cenchrus americanus	Waialua, Poamoho, Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station farm	Plant in experimental plot.	Preserved_Specimen		Hosaka, E.Y.	2539	Oahu	BISH	1940-10-17
3	Cenchrus americanus	West Maui, Lahaina District, Mahinahina	Volunteer in trial plot, in former pineapple field.	Preserved_Specimen		Oppenheimer, H.L.	100402	Maui	BISH	2004-10-01

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