Genus: Pennisetum
Nomenclature
Pennisetum Rich., Syn. Pl. 1. 72. 1805.
A recent molecular investigation suggests that Pennisetum be subsumed into Cenchrus- see Chemisquy, M. A. et al., 2010. Ann. Bot. 106:107-130.List of Pennisetum Species
General Discussion
Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng. (a southeast Asian species commonly used as an ornamental) and Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link (native from Africa to southern Asia) each have a couple of reports of adventive specimens in our area. Further research is need to clarify the occurrence of these taxa in our flora.
References to Pennisetum
- Donadio, S. et.al. 2009. A preliminary molecular phylogeny of Pennisetum and Cenchrus (Poaceae-Paniceae) based on the trnL-F, rpl16 chloroplast markers. Taxon 58: 392-404.
- Doust, A. N. et.al. 2007. Congruence, conflict, and polyploidization shown by nuclear and chlorplast markers in the monophyletic "bristle clade" (Paniceae, Panicoideae, Poaceae). Syst. Bot. 32: 531-544.
- Kellogg, E. A. et.al. 2009. A phylogeny of Setaria (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae) and related genera based on the chloroplast gene ndhF. Int. J. Plant Sci. 170: 117-131.
- Martel, E. et.al. 2004. Chromosome evolution of Pennisetum species (Poaceae): implications of ITS phylogeny. Pl. Syst. Evol. 249: 139-149.