Cynodon dactylon

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Cynodon dactylon, also known as Vilfa

stellata,[2] Bermuda grass, Dhoob, dūrvā
grass, dubo, dog's tooth grass,[3] Bahama
grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian
doab, arugampul, grama, wiregrass and
scutch grass, is a grass that originated in
Africa.[4] Although it is not native to
Bermuda, it is an abundant invasive
species there. It is presumed to have
arrived in North America from Bermuda,
resulting in its common name. In Bermuda
it has been known as crab grass (also a
name for Digitaria sanguinalis).
 Cynodon dactylon

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Clade: Commelinids

Order: Poales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Cynodon
Species: C. dactylon
Binomial name

Cynodon dactylon
(L.) Pers.

Synonyms[1]

List
Agrostis bermudiana Tussac. ex
Kunth nom. inval.

Agrostis filiformis J.Koenig ex Kunth

nom. inval.
Agrostis linearis Retz.
Agrostis stellata Willd.
Capriola dactylon (L.) Kuntze
Capriola dactylon (L.) Hitchc.
Chloris cynodon Trin. nom. illeg.
Chloris maritima Trin.
Chloris paytensis Steud.
Cynodon affinis Caro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon aristiglumis Caro &
E.A.Sánchez

Cynodon aristulatus Caro &

E.A.Sánchez

Cynodon barberi f. longifolia Join

Cynodon decipiens Caro &
E.A.Sánchez

Cynodon distichloides Caro &

E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon erectus J.Presl
Cynodon glabratus Steud.
Cynodon grandispiculus Caro &
E.A.Sánchez nom. inval.

Cynodon hirsutissimus (Litard. &

Maire) Caro & E.A.Sánchez

Cynodon iraquensis Caro

Cynodon laeviglumis Caro &
E.A.Sánchez

Cynodon linearis Willd.

Cynodon maritimus Kunth
Cynodon mucronatus Caro &
E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon nitidus Caro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon occidentalis Willd. ex Steud.
nom. inval.
Cynodon pascuus Nees
Cynodon pedicellatus Caro
Cynodon polevansii Stent
Cynodon portoricensis Willd. ex
Steud. nom. inval.

Cynodon repens Dulac nom. illeg.

Cynodon sarmentosus Gray nom.
illeg.
Cynodon scabrifolius Caro
Cynodon stellatus Willd.
Cynodon tenuis Trin.
Cynodon umbellatus (Lam.) Caro
Cynosurus dactylon (L.) Pers.
Cynosurus uniflorus Walter
Dactilon officinale Vill. nom. illeg.
Dactylus officinalis Asch. nom.
inval.
Digitaria ambigua (Lapeyr. ex DC.)
Mérat

Digitaria dactylon (L.) Scop.

Digitaria glumaepatula (Steud.) Miq.
Digitaria glumipatula (Steud.) Miq.
Digitaria linearis (L.) Pers.
Digitaria linearis (Retz.) Spreng.
Digitaria littoralis Salisb. nom. illeg.
Digitaria maritima (Kunth) Spreng.
Digitaria stolonifera Schrad. nom.
illeg.
Fibichia dactylon (L.) Beck
Fibichia umbellata Koeler nom. illeg.
Milium dactylon (L.) Moench
Panicum ambiguum (DC.) Le Turq.
Panicum dactylon L.
Panicum glumipatulum Steud.
Panicum lineare L.
Paspalum ambiguum DC.
 Paspalum dactylon (L.) Lam.
Paspalum umbellatum Lam.
Phleum dactylon (L.) Georgi
Syntherisma linearis (L.) Nash
Vilfa linearis (Retz.) P.Beauv.
Vilfa stellata (Willd.) P.Beauv.

Description
The blades are a grey-green colour and are
short, usually 2–15 cm (0.79–5.91 in) long
with rough edges.[5] The erect stems can
grow 1–30 cm (0.39–11.81 in) tall. The
stems are slightly flattened, often tinged
purple in colour.

The seed heads are produced in a cluster

of two to six spikes together at the top of
the stem, each spike 2–5 cm (0.79–
1.97 in) long.[5]

It has a deep root system; in drought

situations with penetrable soil, the root
system can grow to over 2 metres (6.6 ft)
deep, though most of the root mass is less
than 60 centimetres (24 in) under the
surface. The grass creeps along the
ground with its stolons and roots wherever
a node touches the ground, forming a
dense mat. C. dactylon reproduces through
seeds, stolons, and rhizomes. Growth
begins at temperatures above 15 °C
(59 °F) with optimum growth between 24
and 37 °C (75 and 99 °F); in winter, the
grass becomes dormant and turns brown.
Growth is promoted by full sun and
retarded by full shade, e.g., close to tree
trunks.

Cultivation, control and uses

Cynodon dactylon is widely cultivated in
warm climates all over the world between
about 30° S and 30° N latitude, and that
get between 625 and 1,750 mm (24.6 and
68.9 in) of rainfall a year (or less, if
irrigation is available). It is also found in
the U.S., mostly in the southern half of the
country and in warm climates. Detailed
study using experimental animals
exhibited anti-stress, adaptogenic
activities and improved male fertility.[6]

Control/eradication

It is fast-growing and tough, making it

popular and useful for sports fields, as
when damaged it will recover quickly. It is
a highly desirable turf grass in warm
temperate climates, particularly for those
regions where its heat and drought
tolerance enable it to survive where few
other grasses do. This combination makes
it a frequent choice for golf courses in the
southern and southeastern U.S. It has a
relatively coarse-bladed form with
numerous cultivars selected for different
turf requirements. It is also highly
aggressive, crowding out most other
grasses and invading other habitats, and
has become a hard-to-eradicate weed in
some areas (it can be controlled
somewhat with Triclopyr, Mesotrione,
Fluazifop-P-butyl, and Glyphosate).[7][8]
This weedy nature leads some gardeners
to give it the name of "devil grass".
Bermuda grass is incredibly difficult to
control in flower beds and most herbicides
do not work. However, Ornamec, Ornamec
170, Turflon ester (tricyclopyr), and
Imazapyr have shown some effectiveness.
All of these items are difficult to find in
retail stores, as they are primarily
marketed to professional landscapers.[9]

Bermuda grass has been cultivated in

saline soils in California's Central Valley,
which are too salt-damaged to support
agricultural crops; it was successfully
irrigated with saline water and used to
graze cattle.[10][11]
The hybrid variety Tifton 85, like some
other grasses (e.g. sorghum), produces
cyanide under certain conditions,[12] and
has been implicated in several livestock
deaths (note that in several places this
variety has been incorrectly reported as a
genetically modified strain;[13] actually it is
a conventionally bred F1 hybrid[14]).

In India, commonly known as "durva", this

grass is used in the Ayurveda system of
medicine. In Hinduism, it is considered
important in the worship of Lord Ganesha.
 Cynodon dactylon growing in Kaloko-
Honokohau National Historical Park on the
Island of Hawaiʻi

Varieties
Tifgreen (drought resistant)[15]
Tifway 419 or Tifton 419[16] (athletic
fields, fairways, golf course tees)[17]
LaPaloma
Riviera
SR9554
Laprima
Veracruz
Wrangler
Yukon
AgriDark (sports turf – Australia and
New Zealand)[18]
OZTUFF (low maintenance couch –
Australia, PBR under OZ-E-GREEN)[19][20]
 This list is not all inclusive. Hundreds of
cultivars have been created specifically
for environmental tolerance and
stakeholder requirements. New cultivars
are released yearly.

References
1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All
Plant Species" .
2. "Vilfa stellata (Willd.) P. Beauv" .
Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical
Garden. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
3. "Iraq" . lntreasures.com. Retrieved
5 November 2015.