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CYNODON L. Rich.
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose or rhizomatous or stoloniferous, perennial. Culms erect or ascending or mat forming, nodes
glabrous; internodes hollow, terete. Leaves basal or basal and cauline, not distinctly distichous in most taxa (exception
C. dactylon); sheaths terete, margins open; auricles absent; ligules a ciliate membrane; blades flat or folded, linear, lax,
apex acute to acuminate. Panicles of 2 to several spicate primary unilateral branches; branches digitate or subdigitate
or verticullate, spreading or divergent, with spikelets in two rows. Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed,
disarticulation above the glumes, awnless, sessile; florets 1, reduced absent, callus glabrous; rachilla extended beyond
first florets, (rudiment may be present); glumes 2, first 1-veined, second 1-3-veined, unequal, shorter than first floret,
glabrous or scabrous, awnless; lemmas 3-veined, coriaceous, glabrous or scabrous, apex entire, awnless; paleas
2-veined, awnless, glabrous. Stamen 3; anthers greenish purple or purple. Caryopses laterally compressed, elliptical,
cross-section triangular. Base chromosome number x=9.
A tropical and subtropical genus of about 10 species. The C. dactylon (bermudagrass) of Texas is
cultivated for lawns and pastures. It is also one of our most noxious weeds of open habitats and it occurs in a
variety of habitats. Several of the species are important forage species.
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