About Cenchrus longisetus M.C.Johnst.
Cenchrus longisetus M.C.Johnst., previously classified as Pennisetum villosum, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. It is commonly known as feathertop grass, or simply feathertop. It is native to northeastern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and is cultivated in other regions as an ornamental plant. It can occasionally be found growing wild in areas where it has escaped from cultivation. This is a perennial grass that grows in rhizomatous clumps, producing erect stems that reach up to approximately 75 centimeters in height. Its inflorescence is a panicle of clustered spikelets, surrounded by a cloudlike mass of plumose white bristles up to 5 centimeters long. The former Latin specific epithet villosum means "with soft hairs". In temperate climates, it is hardy only in mild or coastal areas where temperatures do not drop much below freezing. In non-hardy locations, it is often grown as an annual instead. This plant has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
