Skip to content

Hairy fountain grass

Cenchrus pedicellatus

Family: Poaceae Genus: Cenchrus Species: pedicellatus

Synonyms: Pennisetum pedicellatum

Hairy fountain grass (en)
Cenchrus pedicellatus โ€” flower
Cenchrus pedicellatus โ€” flower

Botanical Description

Cenchrus pedicellatus, often known as deenanath grass or kyasuwa (and formerly placed in Pennisetum), is a tufted annual or short-lived perennial grass of the family Poaceae, native to seasonally dry savannas and disturbed lands of tropical Africa, with its range extending into parts of southern Asia and naturalised elsewhere. It forms loose tussocks of erect to geniculate culms 60โ€“150 cm tall, often branching at the lower nodes. The leaf blades are flat, linear, 10โ€“40 cm long and 5โ€“12 mm wide, with finely scabrous margins and a short, ciliate ligule. The inflorescence is a cylindrical, bristly false spike 5โ€“20 cm long, in which the spikelets are subtended and partly enclosed by an involucre of slender, antrorsely barbed bristles; these bristles are unequal in length, with one or two notably elongated. Spikelets are 3โ€“5 mm long and contain two florets, the upper bisexual. The species colonises sandy and loamy soils in open grasslands, fallow fields, roadsides, and overgrazed pastures, and is widely grazed by livestock.

Native Region: Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Repu, Chad, Congo, East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Zambia

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID
240000

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.