Cynodon dactylon, commonly known as Bermuda grass or as couch grass in Australia and New Zealand, is a warm season grass found worldwide in warm and tropical climates. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia, and much of Asia and has been introduced to the Americas.
Despite its common name, C. dactylon is not native to Bermuda but is an abundant invasive species there. In Bermuda, it has been known as crabgrass, also a name for Digitaria sanguinalis.
Interspecific hybrids occur naturally through cross-pollination, but cultivars are also developed by selecting individual plants with desirable traits from seeded or vegetatively propagated stands. These cultivars are typically triploids with three sets of chromosomes.
Description
Growing in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park on the Island of Hawaiʻi
The blades are grey-green in color and short, usually 2–15 cm (0.79–5.91 in) long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1–30 cm (0.39–11.81 in) tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often white or green, and occasionally 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.
Cynodon dactylon has a deep root system. When grown in penetrable soil under drought conditions, its roots 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.
The grass starts actively growing at temperatures above 15 °C (59 °F) with ideal growth between 24 and 37 °C (75 and 99 °F); in winter or in the dry season, the grass becomes dormant and turns light brown. Optimal development also occurs in areas of full sun exposure, while dense shade,...
