Cenchrus echinatus

Southern sandbur

Family: Poaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Southern sandbur is a naturalized annual grass found in southern California regions including Solano County, San Diego County, Peninsular Ranges, and desert areas at elevations generally below 700 meters. Flowering in October, this plant produces green spikelets in dense, spherical burs with sharp bristles. Growing with stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it spreads across disturbed places and fields with grass blades 6 to 20 centimeters long and 2 to 10 millimeters wide. Its distinctive burs contain 2 to 3 spikelets, with inner bracts forming a cup-like structure that traps and disperses seeds. The plant's cylindrical outer bracts and pubescent inner bracts create a unique, spiky seed cluster that helps distinguish it from other grasses.

Habitat: Disturbed places, fields

Bloom period: Oct

Elevation: generally < 700 m

Bioregions: s ScV (Solano Co.), SCo (San Diego), PR, D

California counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Solano, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Ventura

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.