Common Names
Click on the language to view common names.
Common Names in Afrikaans:
Transvaal Kweekgras
Common Names in English:
African Bermuda Grass, African Bermudagrass, African Dog´s Tooth Grass, African Dogstooth Grass, Bermudagrass, Florida Grass, Star Grass, Stargrass, Transvaal Dog-Tooth Grass
Common Names in French:
Chiendent Du Transvaal
Common Names in Japanese:
Afurika Gyougishiba
Description
Family Poaceae
Annual
or perennial
herbs, or tall woody bamboos
. Flowering stems (culms
) jointed
, internodes hollow or solid; branches arising singly from nodes and subtended by a leaf sheath
and 2-keeled prophyll, often fascicled in bamboos. Leaves arranged alternately in 2 ranks
, differentiated into sheath, blade
, and an adaxial
erect
appendage
at sheath/blade junction (ligule) ; leaf sheath surrounding and supporting culm-internode, split to base
or infrequently tubular
with partially or completely fused margins
, modified with reduced blade in bamboos (culm sheaths) ; leaf blades divergent, usually long, narrow and flat, but varying from inrolled
and filiform
to ovate
, veins parallel, sometimes with cross-connecting veinlets
(especially in bamboos) ; ligule membranous or a line
of hairs
. Inflorescence terminal
or axillary
, an open, contracted
, or spikelike panicle, or composed of lax
to spikelike racemes
arranged along an elongate
central axis, or digitate, paired
, or occasionally solitary; axillary inflorescences often many, subtended by spatheoles
(specialized bladeless leaf sheaths) and gathered into a leafy compound
panicle; spikelets
often aggregated into complex
clusters
in bamboos. Spikelets composed of distichous bracts arranged along a slender axis (rachilla) ; typically 2 lowest bracts (glumes
) empty, subtending
1 to many florets
; glumes often poorly differentiated from accompanying bracts in bamboos. Florets composed of 2 opposing bracts enclosing a single small flower, outer bract (lemma) clasping
the more delicate, usually 2-keeled inner bract (palea) ; base of floret often with thickened prolongation articulated with rachilla (callus) ; lemma often with apical or dorsal bristle
(awn
), glumes also sometimes awned
. Flowers bisexual
or unisexual
; lodicules (small scales
representing perianth) 2, rarely 3 or absent, 3 to many in bamboos, hyaline
or fleshy
; stamens 3 rarely 1, 2, 6, or more in some bamboos, hypogynous, filaments
capillary
, anthers
versatile; ovary 1-celled, styles (1 or) 2(rarely 3), free
or united
at base, topped by feathery stigmas, exserted from sides or apex of floret. Fruit normally a dry indehiscent caryopsis with thin pericarp firmly adherent
to seed, pericarp rarely free, fleshy in some bamboos; embryo small or large; hilum
punctate
to linear
.
About 700 genera and 11,000 species: widely distributed in all regions of the world.[1]
Physical Description
Habit: Graminoid
Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,028 meters (0 to 9,934 feet).[2]
Biology
Reproduction
Duration: Perennial
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
)
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
(
)
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Flowering Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
)
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
)
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Liliopsida
(
)
- Scopoli, 1760
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
(
)
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Poanae
(
)
- (Small, 1903) Takhtajan, 1997 Ex Reveal & Doweld, 1999
- Order:
Poales
(
)
- Small, 1903
- Family:
Poaceae
(
)
- (R. Brown) Barnhart, 1895
- Grass Family
- Subfamily:
Pooideae
(
)
- Tribe:
Cynodonteae
(
)
- Genus:
Cynodon
(
)
- L.C. Richard in Persoon, 1805, nom. cons.
- Specific epithet:
nlemfuensis
- Vanderyst
- Variety:
nlemfuensis
- Botanical name: - Cynodon nlemfuensis var. nlemfuensis Vanderyst
- Variety:
nlemfuensis
- Specific epithet:
nlemfuensis
- Vanderyst
- Genus:
Cynodon
(
- Tribe:
Cynodonteae
(
- Subfamily:
Pooideae
(
- Family:
Poaceae
(
- Order:
Poales
(
- Superorder:
Poanae
(
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
(
- Class:
Liliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Magnoliophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000
Similar Species
Members of the genus Cynodon
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 86 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
C. abyssinicus · C. aethiopicus · C. affinis · C. altior · C. amabilis · C. americanus · C. aristulatus · C. brizoides · C. caeruleus · C. ciliaris · C. ciliatus · C. convergens · C. coracanus · C. coursii · C. cruciatus · C. curtipendula · C. curtipendulus · C. cynosuroides · C. dactylon (Chiendent Pied-De-Poule) · C. dactylon 'Coastal' (Coastal Bermuda) · C. dactylon 'Santa Ana' (African Couch) · C. dactylon subvar. hirsutissimus · C. dactylon 'Sunturf' (African Couch) · C. dactylon 'Tifeagle' (African Couch) · C. dactylon 'Tifgreen' (African Couch) · C. dactylon 'U-3' (African Couch) · C. dactylon var. affinis · C. dactylon var. hirsutissimus · C. dactylon var. longiglumis · C. dactylon var. pilosus · C. dactylon var. pulchellus · C. decipiens · C. diffusus · C. domingensis · C. donax · C. durvillaei · C. elongatus · C. 'Emerald Dwarf' · C. fascicularis · C. filiformis · C. gracilis · C. gynerium · C. hirsutus var. sesquiflorus · C. incompletus var. hirsutus · C. incompletus var. incompletus · C. indicus · C. intermedius · C. iraquensis · C. junceus · C. laeviglumis · C. leptochloides · C. linearis · C. magennisii · C. maximus · C. melicoides · C. monostachyos · C. mucronatus · C. neesii · C. nlemfuensis · C. nlemfuensis var. nlemfuensis (African Dog´s Tooth Grass) · C. occidentalis · C. parodii · C. pedicellatus · C. petiti · C. phragmites · C. pilosissimus · C. pilosus · C. plectostachyum · C. polevansii · C. polystachyon · C. polystachyus · C. portoricensis · C. praecox · C. procumbens · C. pungens · C. repens · C. ruspolianus · C. sarmentosus · C. stellatus · C. sudeticus · C. tenellum · C. tenellus · C. tener · C. tenuis · C. transvaalensis · C. virgatus
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
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- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Chen Shouliang, Jin Yuexing, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Liu Liang, Wu Zhenlan, Lu Shenglian, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao, Wang Song, Sun Xiangzhong, Wang Huiqin, Yang Xilin, Wang Chaopin, Li Binggui & Wen Shaobin. 1990. Gramineae (Poaceae) (4). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(1):1401
- Chen Shouliang, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Jin Yuexing, Liu Liang, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao & Wang Song. 1997. Gramineae (Poaceae) (5). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(2): 1301
- Liu Liang, Zhu Taiping, Chen Wenli, Wu Zhenlan & Lu Shenglian. Gramineae (Poaceae) (2). In: Liu Liang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(2): 1405
- Lu Sheng-lian, Sun Yong-hua, Liu Shang-wu, Yang Yong-chang, Wu Zhen-lan, Kuo Pen-chao, Yang Hsi-ling, Wang Chao-pin & Tsui Nai-ran. 1987. Gramineae (3). In: Kuo Pen-chao, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(3): 1329
- Wang Zhengping, Ye Guanghan, Yang Yaling, Yu Zehua, Hu Chenhua, Geng Bojie, Feng Xuelin, Jia Liangzhi, Xia Nianhe, Li Dezhu, Zhang Weiping, Xue Jiru, Zhu Zhengde, Zhao Qiseng, Chen Shouliang, Sheng Guoying, Chen Shaoyun, Yao Changyu, Lu Jionglin, Sun Jiliang, Lin Wantao, Yi Tongpei, Zhao Huiru, Wen Taihui & Dai Qihui. 1996. Gramineae (Poaceae) (1).
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 6, 2007.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 28, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
- USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Identifiers
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-41622 ITS-41621 ITS-527623 ITS-5
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13899541
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:167585-3
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 41622
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 167441-3
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMPOA1W050 PMPOA1W040
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CYTR CYPL2
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1013659
Footnotes
- Shou-liang Chen, De-Zhu Li, Guanghua Zhu, Zhenlan Wu, Sheng-lian Lu, Liang Liu, Zheng-ping Wang, Bi-xing Sun, Zheng-de Zhu, Nianhe Xia, Liang-zhi Jia, Zhenhua Guo, Wenli Chen, Xiang Chen, Yang Guangyao, Sylvia M. Phillips, Chris Stapleton, Robert J. Soreng, Susan G. Aiken, Nikolai N. Tzvelev, Paul M. Peterson, Stephen A. Renvoize, Marina V. Olonova & Klaus Ammann "Poaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 22. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
- Mean = 883.820 meters (2,899.672 feet), Standard Deviation = 905.790 based on 74 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
