Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Inflorescence: Raceme
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft. , 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Bloom Notes: Burs purplish

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , DC , FL , GA , KS , KY , LA , MD , MS , NC , NM , NV , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA
Native Distribution: Texas: Throughout but most abundant in north-central and southeast Texas and Rio Grande Plains. U.S.A.: Coastal States, Virginia to Texas and inland to Arkansas and Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, California. International: Nearly throughtout Mexico, Central America, and West Indies; also warm-temperate and subtropical parts of South America; Philipines; South Africa.
Native Habitat: Sandy or tighter soils, especially in disturbed areas.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), PR(N), VI(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil Description: Best adapted to dry sandy and sandy loam soil.
Conditions Comments: Common on disturbed sites.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: The song bird, Pyrrhuloxia, eat the seeds.
Warning: Very painful to walk on in bare feet. Burs stick to clothing.
Larval Host: The Grass Family is an essential larval food for most branded skippers and most of the satyrs.
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Seed Treatment: No special pre-treatment.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0332 Collected May 22, 1987 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-RLU-3 Collected 2009-09-05 in Burnet County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Cenchrus spinifex in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Cenchrus spinifex in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cenchrus spinifex