Cynodon

For the genus of fishes, see Cynodon (fish).

Bermuda Grass Dog's Tooth Grass
Cynodon dactylon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Chloridoideae
Tribe:	Cynodonteae
Genus:	Cynodon Rich. in Pers. 1805, not Brid. 1819 (a moss in family Ditrichaceae)
Type species
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.
Synonyms
Capriola Adans. Dactilon Vill. Fibichia Koeler Dactylon Roem. & Schult.

Cynodon is a genus of plants in the grass family. It is native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World, as well as being cultivated and naturalized in the New World and on many oceanic islands.

The genus name comes from Greek words meaning "Dog-tooth". The genus as a whole as well as its species are commonly known as Bermuda Grass or Dog's Tooth Grass.

Species

1. Cynodon aethiopicus - Africa; introduced in South Africa, Queensland, Hawaii, Texas
2. Cynodon barberi - India, Sri Lanka
3. Cynodon coursii - Madagascar
4. Cynodon dactylon - Old World; introduced in New World and on various islands
5. Cynodon incompletus - southern Africa; introduced in Australia, Argentina
6. Cynodon × magennisii - Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga; introduced in Texas, Alabama
7. Cynodon nlemfuensis - Africa from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe; introduced in South Africa, West Africa, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Texas, Florida, Mesoamerica, northern South America, various islands
8. Cynodon plectostachyus - Chad, East Africa; introduced in Madagascar, Bangladesh, Mexico, West Indies, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Texas, California
9. Cynodon radiatus - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Madagascar; introduced in Australia, New Guinea
10. Cynodon transvaalensis - South Africa, Lesotho; introduced in other parts of Africa plus in scattered locales in Iran, Australia, and the Americas

formerly included

several species now considered better suited to other genera: Arundo Bouteloua Brachyachne Chloris Cortaderia Ctenium Digitaria Diplachne Eleusine Enteropogon Eragrostis Eustachys Gynerium Leptochloa Molinia Muhlenbergia Phragmites Poa Spartina Tridens Trigonochloa

2

Cultivation and uses

Some species, most commonly C. dactylon, are grown as lawn grasses in warm temperate regions, such as the Sunbelt area of the United States where they are valued for their drought tolerance compared to most other lawn grasses. Propagation is by rhizomes, stolons, or seeds. In some cases it is considered to be a weed; it spreads through lawns and flower beds, where it can be difficult to kill with herbicides without damaging other grasses or plants. It is difficult to pull out because the rhizomes and stolons break readily, and then re-grow.

It is also noted for its common use on the surface of greens on golf courses, as well as football and baseball playing fields.

Recent news reports claim that a Bermuda-derived F₁ hybrid called Tifton 85 suddenly started producing cyanide and killed a cattle herd in Texas, USA.

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Cynodon at Wikispecies

• Genus Cynodon on ITIS Report
• Cynodon on USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service
• Lawn Maintenance Calendar (North Carolina)