Cynodon

For the genus of fishes, see Cynodon (fish).
Not to be confused with Conodon or Cynodont.

Bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Tribe: Cynodonteae
Subtribe: Eleusininae
Genus: Cynodon
Rich. in Pers. 1805, not Brid. 1819 (a moss in family Ditrichaceae)
Type species
Cynodon dactylon
Synonyms[1]
  • Capriola Adans.
  • Dactilon Vill.
  • Fibichia Koeler
  • Dactylon Roem. & Schult.

Cynodon is a genus of plants in the grass family.[2] It is native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World, as well as being cultivated and naturalized in the New World and on many oceanic islands.

The genus name comes from Greek words meaning "dog-tooth". The genus as a whole as well as its species are commonly known as Bermuda grass or dog's tooth grass.

Species[1][3][4]
  • Cynodon aethiopicus - Africa; introduced in South Africa, Queensland, Hawaii, Texas
  • Cynodon barberi - India, Sri Lanka
  • Cynodon coursii - Madagascar
  • Cynodon dactylon - Old World; introduced in New World and on various islands
  • Cynodon incompletus - southern Africa; introduced in Australia, Argentina
  • Cynodon × magennisii - Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga; introduced in Texas, Alabama
  • Cynodon nlemfuensis - Africa from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe; introduced in South Africa, West Africa, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Texas, Florida, Mesoamerica, northern South America, various islands
  • Cynodon plectostachyus - Chad, East Africa; introduced in Madagascar, Bangladesh, Mexico, West Indies, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Texas, California
  • Cynodon radiatus - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Madagascar; introduced in Australia, New Guinea
  • Cynodon transvaalensis - South Africa, Lesotho; introduced in other parts of Africa plus in scattered locales in Iran, Australia, and the Americas
Formerly included[1]

Several species now considered better suited to other genera, namely Arundo, Bouteloua, Brachyachne, Chloris, Cortaderia, Ctenium, Digitaria, Diplachne, Eleusine, Enteropogon, Eragrostis, Eustachys, Gynerium, Leptochloa, Molinia, Muhlenbergia, Phragmites, Poa, Spartina, Tridens, and Trigonochloa.

  1. ^ a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Richard, Louis Claude Marie, in Persoon, Christiaan Hendrik. 1805. Synopsis Plantarum 1: 85
  3. ^ The Plant List search for Cynodon
  4. ^ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps