Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Bermuda grass. Perennial herb, clonal, stolon–producing, rhizomatous, fibrous–rooted, typically several–stemmed and cespitose at each rooted node, mat–forming, prostrate or decumbent with ascending shoots, if reproductive terminating in an erect, umbel–like compound inflorescence, < 10—50 cm tall; shoots with only cauline leaves; stolons slender, with internodes often 20—30 mm long but sometimes having 2 extra leaves, thus forming an ascending shoot every third node, when young nodes bearing green leaves; rhizome ca. 2 mm diameter, whitish bearing stiff, red–purple or ivory sheathing scales (= leaf sheaths), the sheaths 10—30 mm long with short acute blades 1—2 mm long
Stems (culms) cylindric, tough, often dark green, faintly striped; internodes hollow.
Leaves alternate distichous, simple and sheathing; sheath open, cylindric, membranous on margins, without lobes (auricles) at top, persistent, collar with colorless hairs to 3 mm long; ligule of erect hairs 0.2—0.5 mm long; blade linear to narrowly triangular–linear, (10—)25—130 × 2—4.5 mm, the widest at the base, flat, minutely toothed on margins for most of length and sometimes with scattered long hairs, parallel–veined with slightly raised principal veins on lower surface but lacking a well–defined midrib, glabrous or sometimes sparsely pilose on upper surface,
Inflorescence spikelets in umbel–like panicle, terminal, of 4—5(—7) ascending later spreading, spikelike branches, the branches (11—)25—67 mm long, 1–sided (upper side) with 2 rows of overlapping, spikelet with 1 floret, bracteate, lacking awns; inflorescence axis erect, slender, 125—140 × 0.5—1.1 mm; branches typically unequal, triangular in ×–section, winged and sometimes ± scalloped on lateral (upper 2) edges, green aging to reddish purple, typically pubescent at base; peduncle subtending spikelet ± 1 mm long.
Spikelet with bisexual floret, strongly compressed side–to–side, 2—3 mm long; rachilla extended above palea and sometimes bearing a small, vestigial floret, breaking above glumes; glumes 2, unequal, narrowly lanceolate, lower glume 1—1.7 mm long and upper glume 1.5—2 mm long, lower glume < upper glume, keeled, green and minutely toothed along keel, membranous on margins, the margins initially purplish aging to pale transparent green or ivory white; lemma ± broadly ovate when spread open, each side semi–lanceolate, 1.8—2.2 × 0.6—0.8 mm, > glumes, keeled, pale yellowish green with 3 green veins and purplish along marginal veins when young, ± acute to acuminate but tip minutely truncate with midvien minutely extended, short–hairy along keel, aging reddish purple; palea 1.6—1.9 × 0.25 mm, < lemma, weakly 2–keeled, 2–veined, whitish with membranous margins and green veins aging reddish purple, glabrous.
Flower bisexual; perianth (lodicules) 2, ± fan–shaped to inversely trapezoid, ± 0.2 × 0.3 mm, at anthesis fleshy and plump but later collapsed, colorless; stamens 3, free; filaments exserted, threadlike, ± 1.5 mm long, whitish; anthers dorsifixed, dithecal, elongate ± X–shaped, 1.2—1.4 mm long, pale yellow or light greenish yellow to reddish yellow, sometimes turning rose–purple at tips and along suture, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen nearly colorless to pale yellow; pistil 1; ovary superior, ovoid, ± 0.5 mm long, green, glabrous, 1–chambered with 1 ovule; styles 2, 0.9—1.3 mm long, whitish and glabrous at base, stigmatic above midpoint; stigmas laterally exserted between lemma and palea, whitish to pink or red–purple, densely long–papillate.
Fruit achene (caryopsis), ellipsoid, 0.9—1 × 0.3 mm, amber with blackish base; enclosed in purplish lemma and palea.
A. C. Gibson & B. A. Prigge