Species Detail Grasses

Plant - Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium, Usage Rights: Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Pennisetum glaucum - pearl millet Synonyms: Cenchrus americanus, Panicum americanum, Pennisetum americanum, Pennisetum typhoides Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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Plant and blades Utah State University, Intermountain Herbarium @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Public Domain (CC0 1.0)


	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Introduced Season: Warm Habitat Description: Found in seasonally moist disturbed areas such as roadsides, stream banks, and cultivated fields. Plant Communities:Riparian, Disturbed Areas Elevation: Below 6500 feet General Description Desc: Pearl millet is an upright bunch grass that forms new stems (tillers from the base); extensive root system; erect stems up to 9 feet tall. Stems are 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. Identification Notes: Tall, up to 78 inches, annual with erect and branching stems; seedheads fully exerted from the sheath; first glume absent or shorter than second; lemmas with pubescent margins; grains (caryopses) protrude from the florets at maturity. Grass Type: Annual Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Jul - Sep Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Absent Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedhead resembles a cattail, bristly and spike-like, 4 to 20 inches long, densely hairy axis, reduced branches, 1 to 9 spikelets; spikelets of 2 florets, lower floret sterile. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: N Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Flat or involute Blade Notes: Leaf blades are 8 to 40 inches long and 1/2 to 3 inches wide. Leaves may appear loosely twisted. Sheath Hairy: Y Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: Y Ligules: Hairy Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N Forage Value: Pearl millet is regarded as a high quality feed for grazing, hay, or silage. It is high in protein and energy and low in fiber and lignin concentration.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer