Cynodon

Dog tooth grass ( Cynodon dactylon )

The dog tooth grasses ( Cynodon ) are a genus of the family Gramineae ( Poaceae ). This is common in the tropics and subtropics, several species, however, were abducted. In Central Europe the dog tooth grass ( Cynodon dactylon ) was naturalized.

Description

The dog tooth grasses are perennial, carpet-forming grasses. They often have long rhizomes and long above-ground runners. The renewal shoots grow up outside of the lowest leaf sheaths ( extravaginal ). The stalks are bare and have many ridged and also bald nodes. The leaf sheaths are open to the bottom, the stalk are snug and wear at the opening long tufts of hair. The ligule is a short lashes. The leaf blades are flat or rolled rim. In the buds location, they are rolled.

The inflorescence consists of three to six in the Halmende fingers arranged like ears. The ears axis is triangular, one side of which is occupied by two rows of spikelets. The spikelets are stalked very short, are crowded and have flowered. They are about 3 mm long, laterally compressed, and ( almost) bare. The Ährchenachse forms over the florets an extension and decays seed maturity, so that the florets fails and stop the glumes. The two glumes are einnervig and keeled. The lower is shorter than the upper, which is approximately as long as the spikelet. The lemma is three annoying and the same length as the spikelet. It is keeled, pointed, the median nerve is ciliated. The palea is annoying and two equally long as the lemma. There are three stamens. The ovary bears two terminal stylus with feathery scars that protrude from the lateral florets.

The caryopses are obovate. The embryo is half as long as the fruit. The navel is punctiform.

System

The genus of the dog tooth grasses will be provided within the family in the subfamily Chloridoideae, Tribe Cynodonteae.

The genus consists of eight to ten species:

• Cynodon aethiopicus Clayton & Harlan, native to East Africa.
• Cynodon barberi rank. & Tadul.
• Cynodon coursii A. Camus, even as a variety var coursii (A. Camus ) JR Harlan & de Wet Cynodon dactylon too.
• Dog tooth grass ( Cynodon dactylon (L. ) Pers. ), Is cosmopolitan spread.
• Cynodon incompletus Nees
• Cynodon nlemfuënsis Vanderyst, native to Eastern and Central Africa.
• Cynodon parviglumis Ohwi
• Cynodon plectostachyus (K. Schum. ) Pilg. , Native of tropical Africa.
• Cynodon radiatus Roth
• Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy, native to South Africa.

The name derives from the Greek Cynodon kynodon = " Dogtooth, pointed canine " and refers to the sharp toothed husks.

Documents

• Siegmund Seybold (ed.): Schmeil - Fitschen interactive. CD -ROM, Version 1.1, Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2002, ISBN 3-494-01327-6.
• Walter Erhardt, Erich Götz, Nils Boedeker, Siegmund Seybold: The big walleye. Encyclopedia of plant names. Band. 2 species and varieties. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5406-7.