Cynodon
Encyclopedia
Cynodon is a genus of nine species of grasses
, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World
. The genus as a whole as well as its species are commonly known as Bermuda Grass or Dog's Tooth Grass.
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 rhizome
s, stolon
s, or seed
s. 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.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
. The genus as a whole as well as its species are commonly known as Bermuda Grass or Dog's Tooth Grass.
Species
- Cynodon aethiopicus
- Cynodon barberi
- Cynodon dactylonCynodon dactylonCynodon dactylon , also known as Dūrvā Grass, Bermuda Grass, Dubo, Dog's Tooth Grass, Bahama Grass, Devil's Grass, Couch Grass, Indian Doab, Arugampul, Grama, and Scutch Grass, is a grass native to north and east Africa, Asia and Australia and southern Europe...
- Cynodon incompletus
- Cynodon nlemfuensis
- Cynodon parviglumis
- Cynodon plectostachyus
- Cynodon radiatus
- Cynodon transvaalensis
Cultivation and uses
Some species, most commonly C. dactylon, are grown as lawnLawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
grasses in warm temperate regions, such as the Sunbelt area of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where they are valued for their drought tolerance compared to most other lawn grasses. Propagation is by rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s, stolon
Stolon
In biology, stolons are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external skeletons.-In botany:...
s, or seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. In some cases it is considered to be a weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
; 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.