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Weed Seed: Cenchrus longispinus (Long-spined sandbur)

Family

Poaceae

Common Name

Long-spined sandbur

Regulation

Primary Noxious, Class 2 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act.

Distribution

Canadian: Occurs in BC, ON, QC (Brouillet et al. 2016Footnote 1).

Worldwide: Native to North and South America (USDA-ARS 2016Footnote 2). Introduced to Europe (Belgium, Italy, Ukraine) and Australia (CABI 2016Footnote 3).

Duration of life cycle

Annual

Seed or fruit type

Spikelet in a fascicle (looks like a cup-like bur, here after it is called bur)

Identification features

Size

Shape

Surface Texture

Colour

Other Features

Habitat and Crop Association

Cultivated fields, irrigated orchards, vineyards, beaches, roadsides, railway lines, and other disturbed areas (Boydson 1997Footnote 4, Darbyshire 2003Footnote 5). A weed of corn crops in the Great Plains region of North America (Anderson 1997Footnote 6).

General Information

The burs of long-spined sandbur may be transported by farm equipment, contaminated hay, and other forage crops. Floating burs may travel through irrigated crops and into irrigation ditches (California Department of Food and Agriculture 2013Footnote 7).

Similar species

Southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus)

Photos

Figure 1 - Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Figure 2 - Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, side view
Figure 3 - Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, top view
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) bur, top view
Figure 4 - Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) spikelet
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) spikelet
Figure 5 - Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) floret and caryopsis
Long-spined sandbur (Cenchrus longispinus) floret and caryopsis

Similar species

Figure 6 - Similar species: Southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus) bur
Similar species: Southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus) bur
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