| Pennisetum | |
|---|---|
| Dense stand of Pennisetum pedicellatum in Hyderabad (India) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Tribe: | Paniceae |
| Genus: | Pennisetum Rich. |
| Species | |
|
About 80, see text |
|
Pennisetum ( /ˌpɛnɨˈsiːtəm/)[1] is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. They are large annual or perennial grasses growing 1–4 m tall, and are collectively known as the pennisetums. The related genus Cenchrus is occasionally included in Pennisetum.
The genus includes a number of species grown for ornamental purposes (such as Fountain Grass, P. setaceum), as food (Pearl Millet, P. glaucum), and as pasture (Kikuyu Grass, P. clandestinum ). Napier Grass (P. purpureum) is employed in push–pull technology plantings to attract Ostrinia moths away from maize and sorghum fields.
Several pennisetums, including Fountain Grass, Kikuyu Grass and Feathertop Grass (P. villosum) have become invasive weeds, e.g. in Australia and on the Galápagos and Hawaiian Islands. In an agricultural context, they can be smothered with cover crops. In other contexts, they provide food for herbivores; Chestnut-breasted Munias (Lonchura castaneothorax) like to eat Pearl Millet seeds, while Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis leda) caterpillars and Delia larvae feed on Pennisetum plants. The sac fungus Cochliobolus sativus (anamorph: Bipolaris sorokiniana) is a plant pathogen infecting Pennisetum among other grasses, causing root rot and spot blotch diseases.