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Cenchrus purpureus

Napiergrass (Cenchrus purpureus Schumach., syn. Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), also known as elephant grass, is a tropical perennial grass native to eastern and central Africa. It is cultivated primarily for forage and widely used by smallholder dairy farmers due to its high growth rate, leaf nutritive value, perennial nature, persistence, ease of propagation, and broad adaptation. As a C4 grass species, napiergrass is a promising candidate feedstock for biofuel production due to its superior yield of biomass. Napiergrass cultivars are typically developed from natural out-crossings. It is an allotetraploid (2n = 4x = 28, A’A’BB) with an average amount of DNA per G1 nucleus of 5.78 pg.