Compilation
Cenchrus racemosus

annual or subperennial (?); culms fascicled, simple or branched with the branches often fascicled and densely leafy, geniculate, ascending often from a decumbent base or wholly decumbent, slender, from a few inches to 1 ft. long, glabrous or pubescent near the panicle, smooth, 3–5-noded, intermediate internodes exserted, uppermost 1 or 2 usually enclosed, and from less than 1 to 4 in. long; lowest sheaths short, broad, pallid, the following more or less herbaceous, rather loose, uppermost tumid, usually embracing the base of the panicle; blades linear to lanceolate, acute, 1/3–2 in. by 1–2 lin., flat or wavy, rigid, very glaucous, closely striate; panicle 1–5 in. long, slender; axis straight or slightly wavy, pubescent; branches very close or the lowest distant, very short, 2–3-spiculate, sometimes minutely continued beyond the uppermost spikelets; spikelets facing each other when paired, 1 1/2–2 lin. long, one of a cluster often reduced; lower glume very minute, up to 1/4 lin. long, hyaline, ciliolate or quite suppressed; upper glume slightly curved, involute, completely enveloping the floret, strongly 5-ribbed, thin between the ribs, these with rows of stout hooked spines; valve lanceolate-oblong, apiculate or mucronulate, 1–1 1/2 lin. long, thinly membranous, very minutely pubescent, faintly 3-nerved; pale subacute, obscurely 2-nerved; anthers ellipsoid, 1/6– 1/8 lin. long; grain oblong to obovoid-ellipsoid, subterete, 1/2 lin. long. null