Characteristics of biological components of Cenchrus pauciflorus under wet and dry habitats

Abstract: The clonal ramet of Cenchrus pauciflorus in dry and wet habitats were sampled randomly and its structure characteristics of different parts were analyzed in 20th September, 2008 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. The result showed that maturity of both central ramets and tillers spikes and seeds of C.pauciflorus under irrigation were higher than that of dry habitat. Furthermore, main spike width, number of effective spikes, seed length, seed width and number of seeds were significantly higher (P＜0.05) as well as number of tillers, leaf area, leaf number of central ramet, leaf number of tillers, stem length and stem diameter were also higher than that of dry habitat. Other indicators varied significantly (P＜0.05) except leaf number of tillers and stem length. To the opposite, root length, in dry habitat, was significantly higher than that of wet habitat (P＜0.05). The maximum value of leaf area in two habitats appeared at the sixth and seventh leaf. This growing strategy reflected the reaction of adaptablity to water of C.pauciflorus.