Spiny burrgrass - longispinus (Cenchrus longispinus)

Also known as: gentle Annie, innocent weed

Spiny burrgrass - longispinus is an annual grass, similar in appearance to spiny burrgrass C. spinifex).

Profile

How does this weed affect you?

Spiny burrgrass is a weed because of its sharp and clingy burr, ability to spread rapidly and tendency to develop into dense infestations in favourable conditions. It is also difficult and expensive to manage, especially in marginal rainfall areas.

Mature burrs cause a range of problems such as:

• injury to stock causing swellings and ulcers in the mouth
• injury to people and dogs
• clinging to wool and penetrating the skin of stock, reducing the value of both
• shearing difficulties, which often attracts penalty rates as working with contaminated wool requires leather gloves and/or aprons.
• inconvenience and discomfort to workers in irrigated crops such as vegetables, vines and citrus, and
• contamination of dried fruit and hay.

What does it look like?

Spiny burrgrass - longispinus is an erect or spreading grass to 60 cm high. It is similar in general appearance to spiny burrgrass (C. spinifex) but differs in having longer spikelet or burr heads (5.8 - 7.6 mm long), those of spiny burrgrass being 3.4 - 5.8 cm long. The spines are generally longer compared to spiny burrgrass. The burrs are often tinged purple and those of spiny burrgrass are rarely tinted. 

Where is it found?

Spiny burrgrass - longispinus is less widespread that spiny burrgrass (C. spinifex). It occurs on the slopes and plains of NSW. 

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Spiny burrgrass - longispinus during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2023)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

How does it spread?

Plants spread by seed. The barbed spines on the burr can attach to animal fur, wool, clothing, car tyres, and machinery.

More information

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Control

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500–700 mL in 100 L of water
Comments: High volume spot spray. Apply to actively growing plants before seeding. Glyphosate is non-selective. Apply in non-crop areas and roadsides.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 2.0–3.0 L/ha
Comments: Boom spray. Apply to actively growing plants before seeding. Glyphosate is non-selective. Apply in non-crop areas and roadsides.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate

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MSMA 720 g/L (Armada 720 SL)
Rate: 1.0 L in 100 L of water
Comments: Spot spray application. Do not cut or graze effected area for 5 weeks.
Withholding period: Do not graze or cut for stock food for 5 weeks after application.
Herbicide group: Z, Herbicides with unknown and probably diverse sites of action
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Central Tablelands Exclusion zone: whole region except the core infestation area of Mid-Western Regional Council, Bathurst Council, Cabonne Council and Cowra Council areas	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Whole region: The plant should not be bought, sold, grown, carried or released into the environment. Exclusion zone: The plant should be eradicated from the land and the land kept free of the plant. Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Core infestation area: Land managers should mitigate spread from their land. Land managers reduce impacts from the plant on priority assets.
Central West	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Asset Protection) Land managers should mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread from their land. The plant should not be bought, sold, grown, carried or released into the environment.
Western	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Asset Protection) Land managers mitigate the risk of the plant spreading from their land. Land managers reduce impact of plant on priority assets (commercial horticultural areas, grazing lands and conservation areas). The plant or parts of the plant are not traded, carried, grown or released into the environment.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2018