Cynodon transvaalensis

Burtt Davy
Common names: African dogstooth grass Floridagrass
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 237.

Plants stoloniferous and rhizomatous; stolons slender, prostrate; rhizomes slender. Culms 5-30 cm tall, to 0.4 mm thick. Sheaths glabrous or with scattered hairs; ligules to 0.3 mm, membranous and ciliolate; blades to 4 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, flat or involute and filiform, both surfaces pubescent. Panicles with 1-3 (4) branches; branches 0.7-2.1 cm, in a single whorl, reflexed at maturity, axes triquetrous. Spikelets 2-2.7 mm. Lower glumes 1.2-1.4 mm; upper glumes 1.1-1.3 mm; lemmas 2.2-2.7 mm, keels not winged, stiffly and sparsely pubescent, margins glabrous or hispidulous; paleas glabrous. 2n = 18.

Distribution

Iowa, Calif., Ala., Tex., Nebr.

Discussion

Cynodon transvaalensis is native to southern Africa. Hitchcock (1951, p. 504) reported that it was "coming into cultivation as a lawn grass", but it is no longer sold in the Flora region, nor is there any evidence that earlier plantings have led to its establishment. Strains tested in Florida for use in putting greens were unable to withstand the mowing and moisture conditions used to maintain such areas (Busey and Boyer 2002). Strains of the species have, however, been crossed with strains of C. dactylon and cultivars developed from these crosses are sometimes used as turf grasses in the southern United States and in similar climates throughout the world.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Cynodon transvaalensis"
muticous +  and mucronate +
Mary E. Barkworth +
Burtt Davy +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
multiple +, , +  and single +
triquetrous +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
disarticulating +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
filiform +, involute +  and flat +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
African dogstooth grass +  and Floridagrass +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
not woody +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
Iowa +, Calif. +, Ala. +, Tex. +  and Nebr. +
not waisted +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
bisexual +  and fertile +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
muticous +  and keeled +
membranous +
uncinate +
subdigitate +  and digitate +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
not absent +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
membranous +  and cartilaginous +
sometimes longer +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
hispidulous +  and glabrous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
2-keeled +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
with scattered hairs +  and glabrous +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
slender +
Gramineae +
Cynodon transvaalensis +
species +
membranous +
0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
7 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
rhizomatous +  and stoloniferous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +