Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending; 8-40 cm long; 0.5-1 mm diam. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2-0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1-12 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-6; digitate; unilateral; 1.5-6(-8) cm long. Rhachis flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2-2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2-2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 2-2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels eciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed.

Distribution

Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

Reference

Cynodonteae. FTEA.

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Stoloniferous sward-forming perennial with slender underground rhizomes; surface stolons slender; culms slender, up to 40 cm tall, erect or ascending; leaf laminas 2.5–12 cm × 1–2(3) mm, flat, or folded when dry, often short and narrow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes usually 2–4(6) in a single whorl, 2–5.5 cm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2–2.6 mm long; glumes lanceolate in profile, the superior 1/2–3/4 as long as the spikelet; lemma silky-pubescent on the keel, sometimes thinly so.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

Bahama grass, Bermuda grass

Morphology General Habit

Stoloniferous perennial with wiry underground creeping rhizomes

Morphology Culms

Flowering culms erect, usually 10–30 cm tall; leaf-blades 2–5 cm long or more, 1.5–2.5 mm broad, glabrous or finely pubescent; ligule in some strains with a double row of hairs, one row being shorter than the other, other strains with only a single line of hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of 3–5 spikes digitate at the apex of the culm; spikes 2.5–5 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2–2.5 mm long.

Distribution

Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac. Widespread in the warmer parts of both hemispheres.

Ecology

Commonly used for lawns and pastures throughout the West Indies; it especially thrives in sandy soils.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Stoloniferous sward-forming perennial with slender underground rhizomes; surface stolons slender, prostrate; culms slender, 8–40 cm. high, 0.5–1 mm. in diameter.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, or folded when dry, often short and narrow, 1–12 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, glaucous, scaberulous, with or without scattered hairs; ligule a membranous rim 0.2–0.3 mm. long, ciliate on the edge.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes usually 4–6, 1.5–6(–8) cm. long, in a single whorl.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2–2.5 mm. long; glumes lanceolate in side view, 1-nerved, the upper 1/2–3/4 as long as the spikelet; lemma silky pubescent on the keel; palea glabrous.

Habitat

Roadsides, old farmland, and weedy or trodden places around habitations; used as a lawn grass throughout East Africa; sea-level to 2000 m.

Distribution

tropical and warm temperate regions throughout the world K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 U1

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

argentina, barrenillo, bermuda, crítica, cruceta, grama, grama de gallina, grama dulce, gramilla brava, gramilla colorada, paja de la Virgen, pasto argentina, pasto argentino, pasto bermuda, pasto de gallina, pata de perdiz, pelo de vieja, tejedora, yerba argentina

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 3000 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Stoloniferous sward-forming perennial with slender rhizomes; stems slender, up to 40 cm high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes (2–)3–6, digitate, 1.5–6 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes shorter than the floret; lemma 2–3 mm long, subglabrous to silky-pubescent on the keel.

Distribution

N1–3; C1; S2 tropical and warm temperate regions, the most widespread of tropical lawn-grasses.

Ecology

Altitude range 0–1750 m.

Vernacular

Darris, domar, harfo, hrari, rys, sadeho, serdi (Somali).

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Stems creeping, rooting at the nodes and producing from them fascicles of barren shoots and flowering culms; 7–40 cm. high.

Morphology General Height

A common grass in lawns and on paths, and often a pest in agricultural land. Very variable in vegetative, and to a lesser extent spikelet, characters throughout its range, although specimens from a limited area are usually fairly constant.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 3000 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.

Conservation

Least concern.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/173150378/173150397

Conservation

EN - endangered

Use Animal Food Grains & Cereals

Eaten by animals (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Medicines

Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).