Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Cenchrus spinifex
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Sandspurs are notorious for their extremely strong and sharp spines which catch on clothing, fur, and skin alike. The spines actually are flattened and extremely hardened bristles borne at the base of each spikelet. There also is a second set of bristles just outside the spines and not hardened. Care must be taken with a dissecting scope to reach accurate identification. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cenchrus spinifex
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cenchrus incertus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Cenchrus spinifex
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cenchrus spinifex
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-69-004:
Cenchrus incertus FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Cenchrus incertus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cenchrus incertus
COMMON NAME:
Coastal Sandspur
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_cein4_001_lhd
)
USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_051
)
Gill Newberry gn09_c_spinifex_inf
September
Raceme 4-10cm long, the burs not crowded, body finely and densely pubescent, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
Gill Newberry gn09_cenchrus_closeup
September
Involucre of spines fused into a bur; spines stout, 2-5mm long, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Cenchrus spinifex
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cenchrus spinifex
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cenchrus incertus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Cenchrus spinifex
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cenchrus spinifex
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-69-004:
Cenchrus incertus
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Cenchrus incertus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Cenchrus incertus
3541
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia (introduced in NC Piedmont)
Common in Coastal Plain of GA & SC, uncommon in NC (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Spikelets subtended by an involucre of spines and/or bristles fused into a bur
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Grain brownish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".