Cynodon hirsutissimus(Litard. & Maire) Caro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon iraquensisCaro
Cynodon laeviglumisCaro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon linearisWilld.
Cynodon maritimusKunth
Cynodon mucronatusCaro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon nitidusCaro & E.A.Sánchez
Cynodon occidentalisWilld. ex Steud. nom. inval.
Cynodon pascuusNees
Cynodon pedicellatusCaro
Cynodon polevansiiStent
Cynodon portoricensisWilld. ex Steud. nom. inval.
Cynodon repensDulac nom. illeg.
Cynodon sarmentosusGray nom. illeg.
Cynodon scabrifoliusCaro
Cynodon stellatusWilld.
Cynodon tenuisTrin.
Cynodon umbellatus(Lam.) Caro
Cynosurus dactylon(L.) Pers.
Cynosurus uniflorusWalter
Dactilon officinaleVill. nom. illeg.
Dactylus officinalisAsch. 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 littoralisSalisb. nom. illeg.
Digitaria maritima(Kunth) Spreng.
Digitaria stoloniferaSchrad. nom. illeg.
Fibichia dactylon(L.) Beck
Fibichia umbellataKoeler nom. illeg.
Milium dactylon(L.) Moench
Panicum ambiguum(DC.) Le Turq.
Panicum dactylonL.
Panicum glumipatulumSteud.
Panicum lineareL.
Paspalum ambiguumDC.
Paspalum dactylon(L.) Lam.
Paspalum umbellatumLam.
Phleum dactylon(L.) Georgi
Syntherisma linearis(L.) Nash
Vilfa linearis(Retz.) P.Beauv.
Vilfa stellata(Willd.) P.Beauv.
Cynodon dactylon, commonly known as Bermuda grass, and also known as Couch grass in Australia & New Zealand is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas.[2][3] Contrary to its common name, it is not native to Bermuda and is in fact an abundant invasive species there. In Bermuda it has been known as "crab grass" (also a name for Digitaria sanguinalis). Other names are Dhoob, dūrvā grass, ethana grass, dubo, dog grass, dog's tooth grass,[4] Bahama grass, crab grass, devil's grass, couch grass, Indian doab, arugampul, grama, wiregrass and scutch grass.
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.[citation needed]
Cultivation
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). For example, it is grown in the U.S. mostly in the southern half of the country.
Cultivated Bermuda grass with "tiger striping", caused by Rayleigh–Bénard convection during the first frosts of the fall. The frost regions turn brown after several days and the frost-free regions remain green.[6] The spatial scale of the pattern is ~20cm.
Cultivars
Hundreds of cultivars have been created specifically for environmental tolerance and stakeholder requirements. New cultivars are released yearly.[7][8]
Uses
Religious
Commonly known as "durva" or dūrvāyugma in India, this grass is used in the Ayurveda system of medicine.[9] Performing Puranokta Rudrabhisheka while offering durva 11 times bestows long life. In Hinduism, it is considered important in the worship of Lord Ganesha. A clump of 21 shoots of this grass is usually offered during puja (worship). It has been a part of Hindu rituals since Vedic times. A unique festival called Durga Ashtami, dedicated to this grass, is celebrated on the 8th day of Shukla Paksha of Bhadra month of the Hindu calendar.[10]
Groom tying a dubo garland around the bride's neck in a NepaleseHindu wedding
In Nepal, the grass is known as "dubo" and is used by the Hindus. According to Nepalese Hindus, the grass symbolises long life. The grass is an essential item for the Naga Panchami festival as well as the Gaura festival.[12][13][14] In a Nepalese Hindu wedding, a garland made of this grass is worn by both bride and groom.[15]
The rhizomes are reported to act as a diuretic in humans and the grass juice can act as an astringent.[9]
It has been observed that Cynodon dactylon may be selectively eaten by dogs to swiftly induce vomiting when they have gastrointestinal problems. The effect may be due to irritation caused by bristles on the leaf margin.[9]
Other
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 tolerance to heat and drought enable it to survive where few other grasses do. This combination makes it a frequent choice for golf courses in the southern, southeastern U.S and South Africa. It has a relatively coarse-bladed form with numerous cultivars selected for different turf requirements.
Cynodon dactylon (foreground, the background grass is a separate species) at Peradeniya Royal Botanical GardenInvasive nature of cynodon dactylon as it grows out of a small hole in a concrete curb
Invasive species
It is a highly aggressive invasive species, 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).[18][19] 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.[20]
The hybrid variety Tifton 85, like some other grasses (e.g. sorghum), produces cyanide under certain conditions,[21] and has been implicated in several livestock deaths.
^Ackerson BJ, Beier RA, Martin DL. Ground level air convection produces frost damage patterns in turfgrass. Int J Biometeorol. 2015;59:1655. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-0972-3
^Shi H, Wang Y, Cheng Z, Ye T, Chan Z. Analysis of natural variation in bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) reveals physiological responses underlying drought tolerance. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(12):e53422.
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