Cenchrus purpureus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440346cb8a56628884093 |
| Scientific name | Cenchrus purpureus |
| Authority | (Schumach.) Morrone |
| First published in | Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 106: 129 (2010) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Biomass for energy: dry matter used to produce pellets, biogas via anaerobic digestion, and bioethanol after enzymatic hydrolysis.
- Fodder: fresh, silage, or hay for cattle, goats, and sheep.
- Pulp and paper: stem fiber processed into kraft pulp for printing, writing, and packaging paper.
- Fiberboard and particleboard: fibers bound with resin to produce MDF and particleboard.
- Thatching: whole stems used for rural roofing.
- Biochar: carbonized product for soil amendment and carbon sequestration.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Anaerobic digestion of chopped grass to generate biogas for combined heat‑and‑power.
- Fermentation of the cellulosic fraction to ethanol for blending with gasoline.
- Kraft pulp process: grass cooked with alkaline solutions to produce pulp fibers for paper.
- Thatching: whole stems bundled and layered to form waterproof roofing.
Wood and fiber:
- Stems provide a bast fiber with ~45 % cellulose, ~20 % hemicellulose, and ~20 % lignin (dry weight), suitable for pulp and reinforcement of natural‑fiber composites.
- Fiber extracted from stems is used in the manufacture of medium‑density fiberboard and as a filler in biodegradable polymers.
Properties relevant to use:
- High cellulose‑to‑lignin ratio (~2.2) favors enzymatic hydrolysis and pulping.
- Moisture at harvest typically 70–80 % (wet basis), facilitating storage and ensilage.
- Energy content of dry biomass ≈18 MJ kg⁻¹, comparable to woody fuels.
- Ash content 5–9 % (dry basis) and low extractives (
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Amphochaeta exaltata | Andersson | Kongl. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 1853: 136 (1855) |
| Gymnotrix nitens | Andersson | Naturw. Reise Mossambique 6(2): 552 (1864) |
| Pennisetum benthamii | Steud. | Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 105 (1854) |
| Pennisetum benthamii var. nudum | Hack. | Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 78: 400. 1906 |
| Pennisetum benthamii var. sambesiense | Hack. | Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 78: 400. 1906 |
| Pennisetum benthamii var. ternatum | Hack. | Denkschr. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss., Wien. Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 78: 400. 1906 |
| Pennisetum blepharideum | Gilli | Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 69: 41 (1966) |
| Pennisetum exaltatum | Hook.f. & B.D.Jacks. | Index Kew. 1: 112 (1893) |
| Pennisetum flavicomum | Leeke | Z. Naturwiss. 79: 45 (1907) |
| Pennisetum flexispica | K.Schum. | Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas , C: 105 (1895) |
| Pennisetum giganteum | Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 8: 643 (1884) |
| Pennisetum gossweileri | Stapf & C.E.Hubb. | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1933: 274 (1933) |
| Pennisetum hainanense | H.R.Zhao & A.T.Liu | J. Nanjing Technol. Coll. Forest Prod. 1982(4): 84. (1982) |
| Pennisetum lachnorrhachis | Peter | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 40(1 Anh.): 70 (1930) |
| Pennisetum macrostachyum | Benth. | Niger Fl. : 563 (1849) |
| Pennisetum nitens | (Andersson) Hack. | Bol. Soc. Brot. 6: 142 (1888) |
| Pennisetum pallescens | Leeke | Z. Naturwiss. 79: 47 (1907) |
| Pennisetum pruinosum | Leeke | Z. Naturwiss. 79: 46 (1907) |
| Pennisetum purpureum subsp. benthamii | (Steud.) Maire & Weiller | Fl. Afrique N. 1: 341. 1952 (1952) |
| Pennisetum purpureum subsp. flexispica | (K.Schum.) Maire & Weiller | Fl. Afrique N. 1: 340. 1952 (1952) |
| Pennisetum purpureum | Schumach. | Beskr. Guin. Pl. : 44 (1827) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | elephant grass |
| Spanish | maralfalfa |
| Arabic | ثيوم أرجواني |
| Bulgarian | слонова трева |
| dag | kagli |
| German | uganda-gras |
| German | napiergras |
| Finnish | elefanttisulkahirssi |
| Indonesian | rumput gajah |
| Italian | pennisetum purpureum |
| Japanese | ナピアグラス |
| jv | suket gajah |
| jv | kalanjana |
| Kannada | ಆನೆ ಹುಲ್ಲು |
| Korean | 큰왕풀 |
| Korean | 우간다풀 |
| Korean | 네이피어풀 |
| Korean | 코끼리풀 |
| Macedonian | слоновска трева |
| Marathi | नेपियर गवत |
| Burmese | နေပီယာမြက် |
| Nepali | नेपियर घाँस |
| ny | senjele |
| Portuguese | capim-elefante |
| Russian | Слоновая трава |
| Russian | Перистощетинник пурпурный |
| Kinyarwanda | urubingo |
| Swedish | pennisetum purpureum |
| Swahili | mabingobingo |
| Tamil | நேப்பியர் புல் |
| Chinese | 象草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
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Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
- Madeira
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Saint Helena
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Morocco
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South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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Southern Africa
- Cape Provinces
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Northern Provinces
- Swaziland
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West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Burkina
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Rwanda
- Zaïre
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Western Indian Ocean
- Aldabra
- Comoros
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Rodrigues
- Réunion
- Seychelles
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
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China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
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Eastern Asia
- Kazan-retto
- Nansei-shoto
- Ogasawara-Shoto
- Taiwan
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Western Asia
- Palestine
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Arabian Peninsula
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
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Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Nicobar Nicobar
- Thailand
- Vietnam
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Malesia
- Jawa
- Lesser Sunda Islands
- Malaya
- Maluku
- Philippines
- Sulawesi
- Sumatera
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Papuasia
- New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- Norfolk Island
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
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Australia
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Florida
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- California
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Mexico
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Pacific click to expand
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North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
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Northwestern Pacific
- Caroline Islands
- Marianas
- Marshall Islands
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South-central Pacific
- Cook Islands
- Society Islands
- Tubuai Islands
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Southwestern Pacific
- Fiji
- Gilbert Islands
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Samoa
- Vanuatu
- Wallis-Futuna Islands
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North-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
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Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Bermuda
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Netherlands Antilles
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
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Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
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Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Venezuela
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Galápagos
- Peru
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000917319 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 1426 |
| Tropicos | 100359373 |
| INPN | 780429 |
| Flora of Italy | 9898 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77106033-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-462651 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 501877 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 154765 |
| IUCN Red List | 18963209 |
| IPNI | 77106033-1 |
| iNaturalist | 370562 |
| GBIF | 5828220 |
| USDA GRIN | 464278 |
| Flora of Alabama | 4989 |
| USDA Plants | PEPU2 |
| Tropicos | 25509854 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:415202-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-432901 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 369151 |
| Observations.org | 199534 |
| Nature Serve | 2.131422 |
| IPNI | 415202-1 |
| iNaturalist | 62919 |
| GBIF | 2706158 |
| Freebase | /m/075kh1 |
| EPPO | PESPU |
| EOL | 1115110 |
| Elurikkus | 287141 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 10189 |
| USDA GRIN | 27208 |
| Wikipedia | Cenchrus_purpureus |
| EOL | 49910332 |
| Wikipedia | Cenchrus_purpureus |
| PFAF | Pennisetum purpureum |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_022644695.1 | ASM2264469v1 | Chromosome | Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences | 2022-03-21 | 120 | 1.88 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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No natural compounds are linked yet. If you wish to help please use this tool.
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |