Poaceae

Cenchrus longispinus

Common Names: Spiny burrgrass - longispinus

Plant Form: Upright or spreading short-lived grass. Size: Up to 60 cm tall. Stem: Slightly flattened, hairless. Leaves: Narrow blades 3-20 cm long, mostly hairless. Sheaths can have a reddish or purplish tinge. Flowers: Clustered on a spike 3-7 cm long, sometimes partially enclosed by a sheath. Fruit and Seeds: Burr-like structures which are reddish or purplish green with 40-70 sharp spines. Becoming straw-coloured with age. Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides, pastures. Distinguishing Features: Burr have more spines than on close lookalike Spiny burrgrass (Cenchrus spinifex), and have stalks unlike Mossman River grass (Cenchrus echinatus). Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) has bristles on seed heads rather than spiny burrs.