A short-lived, prostrate, fine-leaved perennial grass that spreads by strong, flat stolons and scaly rhizomes to form a dense turf; stolons root readily at the nodes; culms erect or ascending, 5 to 45 cm (rarely to 90 or even 130 cm) tall, wiry, smooth, sometimes reddish, leaf sheaths up to 15 mm long, shorter than internodes, smooth; ligule a conspicuous ring of white hairs; blades 2 to 16 cm long, 3 to 5 mm wide, smooth or hairy on upper surface; inflorescence of three to seven sometimes purplish spikes in one whorl, in a fingerlike arrangement (digitately), 3 to 10 cm long, or in robust forms spikes up to 10, sometimes in two whorls; spikelets 2 to 3 mm long, in two rows tightly appressed to one side of the rachis; lemma boat-shaped, acute with fringe of hairs on the keel, longer than the glume; seed (grain) very small, 1.5 mm long, oval, straw-colored to orange-red, free within the lemma and palea\" (Holm et al. 1977, in PIER 2008). \n

Creeping perennial grass, rooting at the nodes either on the surface of the ground (stolons) or underground (white rhizomes); culms slightly flattened, prostrate or somewhat ascending or erect; inflorescence purplish, digitate; leaf-blades short, usually 3 to 10 cm long, 3 to 6 cm wide, the edges rough. Spikes 2 to 6, often 5 or 4, 2.5 to 7 cm long. Spikelets imbricate, sessile, up to 3 mm long. Lemma longer than either glume (Stone 1970, in PIER 2008). \n

Sub-ordinate taxa include: Cynodon dactylon var. afghanicus, C. dactylon var. aridus, C. dactylon var. coursii, . dactylon var. dactylon, C. dactylon var. elegans and Cynodon dactylon var. polevansii (USDA-ARS 2004). For more common names please see: Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. 2005. Sorting Cynodon names.

Used for environmental purposes (erosion control; lawn/turf), animal food (fodder; forage) and medicines (USDA-ARS 2004). Frequently used for lawns and pastures (Wiggins & Porter 1971, in PIER 2008).

Cynodon dactylon is a warm-season grass which grows slowly in cold weather, in shade or in dry soils. Grows in a range of soils from sand to heavy clay to poor soil; thrives best in medium to heavy moist and well drained soil. Grows in either acid or alkaline conditions and survives floods and drought (through regrowth from underground rhizomes). May be found in the tropics in areas with 600 to 1800 mm of annual rainfall. May be found in arid regions thriving along rivers and in irrigated areas (Holm et al. 1977, in PIER 2008). Found in lower altitudes throughout warm regions of the world (Wiggins & Porter 1971, in PIER 2008). \n

Cultivated in Hawaii; grows along roadsides and in exposed rocky or sandy sites up to 2270 meters in altitude (Wagner et al. 1999, in PIER 2008). Widespread and common in Fiji especially near roadsides, riversides and hillsides to an altitude of 850 meters. Sometimes forms dense mats on the upper parts of beaches and near mangrove swamps (Smith 1979, in PIER 2008). Cultivated on lawns in Tonga (Yuncker 1959, in PIER 2008). A common roadside, lawn grass and plantation weed in New Guinea found to an altitude of at least 1800 meters (Henty & Pritchard 1975, in PIER 2008).

Bermuda grass reproduces by seed. It may propagate by seed or by vegetative fragmentation via runners and rhizomes. Warm moist conditions promote the production of up to 230 seeds per panicle (Perez & Labrada 1985). Seeds germinate at temperatures above 20°C (Burton Undated, in PIER 2008) and germination takes place within the next two weeks.The complete cycle from germination to seed production takes around four months (Perez & Labrada 1985, in PIER 2008).\n

In a risk assessment prepared for Australia C. dactylon scored a total of 5. It is highly suited to the Australian climates and is native or naturalised in areas with extended dry periods. It is an agricultural weed, toxic to animals and a known host of pathogens and pests (PIER 2001).

Physical: Small patches can be dug out. Removal of all rhizomes and stolons is necessary. Solarisation by use of plastic sheets is possible in some climates.

Chemical: Young plants are effectively controlled by applying paraquat, or glyphosate. Applications should occur during spring or autumn when rhizomes are growing (Weber 2003, in PIER 2008). \n