''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 Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

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 * '' Cynodon aethiopicus'' - Africa; introduced in South Africa, Queensland, Hawaii, Texas * '' Cynodon barberi'' - India, Sri Lanka * '' Cynodon coursii'' - Madagascar * '' Cynodon dactylon'' - Old World; introduced in New World and on various islands * '' Cynodon incompletus'' - southern Africa; introduced in Australia, Argentina * '' Cynodon × magennisii'' - Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga; introduced in Texas, Alabama * ''

Cynodon nlemfuensis ''Cynodon nlemfuensis'', the African Bermuda-grass, is a species of grass, genus ''Cynodon'', family Poaceae. It is native to Tropical Africa except West Africa, and widely introduced as a forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leave ...

'' - Africa from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe; introduced in South Africa, West Africa, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Texas, Florida, Mesoamerica, northern South America, various islands * '' Cynodon plectostachyus'' - Chad, East Africa; introduced in Madagascar, Bangladesh, Mexico, West Indies, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Texas, California * '' Cynodon radiatus'' - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Madagascar; introduced in Australia, New Guinea * '' Cynodon transvaalensis'' - South Africa, Lesotho; introduced in other parts of Africa plus in scattered locales in Iran, Australia, and the Americas ; Formerly includedKew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> Several species now considered better suited to other genera, namely '' Arundo'', '' Bouteloua'', '' Brachyachne'', ''

Chloris In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different char ...

'', '' Cortaderia'', '' Ctenium'', '' Digitaria'', '' Diplachne'', '' Eleusine'', '' Enteropogon'', '' Eragrostis'', ''

Eustachys ''Eustachys'' (fan grass or fingergrass) is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. It is native primarily to warmer parts of the Americas, with a few species in Africa and Asia. Species Species include: * ''Eustachys b ...

'', '' Gynerium'', '' Leptochloa'', '' Molinia'', '' Muhlenbergia'', '' Phragmites'', ''

Poa ''Poa'' is a genus of about 570 species of grasses, native to the temperate regions of both hemispheres. Common names include meadow-grass (mainly in Europe and Asia), bluegrass (mainly in North America), tussock (some New Zealand species), a ...

'', '' Spartina'', '' Tridens'', and ''

Trigonochloa ''Trigonochloa'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the grass family. ; Species * ''Trigonochloa rupestris'' (C.E.Hubb.) P.M.Peterson & N.Snow - Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Yemen * ''Trigonochloa uniflora'' (Hochst. ex A.Ri ...

''.

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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

where they are valued for their drought tolerance compared to most other lawn grasses. Propagation is by rhizomes, stolons, or

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

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. Recent news reports claim that a Bermuda-derived F₁ hybrid called ''

Tifton 85 {{no footnotes, date=August 2012 Tifton 85 is a hybrid strain of Bermudagrass ''Cynodon dactylon'', a forage perennial grass that originated in Africa and was brought to the United States as a pasture and hay crop for the humid Southern states. Thi ...

'' suddenly started producing

cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...

and killed a cattle herd in Texas, USA.

References

External links

Genus Cynodon on ITIS Report

Cynodon on USDA/Natural Resource Conservation Service

Lawn Maintenance Calendar (North Carolina)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q959222 Chloridoideae Lawn grasses Poaceae genera