1. Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd., Enum. Pl. 1029 (1809).
Por R.W. Pohl.
Cynosurus aegyptius L., Sp. Pl. 72 (1753). Sintipo: Anon. (LINN-91.11).
Anuales, extendiéndose por estolones cortos y formando tapetes radiales, las porciones erectas de los tallos 2-50 cm, glabros, sólidos; nudos conspicuos. Vainas glabras a pustuloso-vellosas; lígula c. 0.5 mm; láminas 1-7 cm x 1-7 mm, papiloso-vellosas, ocasionalmente glaucas. Espigas generalmente 2-4, a veces 1 ó 6, 1-3 cm, subsésiles. Espiguillas c. 4 mm, grises a purpúreas; gluma inferior 2 mm, ovada, apiculada; gluma superior c. 3 mm, anchamente ovada; flósculos generalmente 3; lemas 2-3 mm, ovadas, acuminadas, la quilla fuertemente arqueada, escábrida, la nervadura media conspicua, verde, las nervaduras laterales inconspicuas; pálea c. 2 mm, las quillas cilioladas; anteras c. 0.4 mm, amarillas. 2n=20, 36, 40, 46, 48. Sabanas, potreros, playas, áreas abiertas herbosas. T (Cowan 3194, MEXU); Ch (Matuda 2709, US); Y (Beetle M-807, ISC); B (Gentle 8433, US); G (Williams et al. 41831, US); H (Pohl y Davidse 12233, ISC); ES (Case et al. 168, MO); N (Moreno 3883, MO); CR (Pohl y Davidse 11633, ISC); P (Ebinger 494, US). 0-1200 m. (Nativa en el Viejo Mundo; naturalizada en todos los trópicos y subtrópicos.)
Annual. Culms slender to moderately robust, geniculately ascending to shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, infrequently erect, 15–60 cm tall. Leaf sheaths with ciliate margin; leaf blades flat, 5–20 × 0.2–0.6 cm, tuberculate-pilose on both surfaces, apex acute or acuminate; ligule membranous, 1–2 mm, margin ciliate. Inflorescence digitate, racemes 2–9, linear to narrowly oblong, often radiating horizontally. Spikelets broadly ovate, 3–4.5 mm, florets 3–4; lower glume narrowly lanceolate, keel thick, hispidulous; upper glume elliptic to narrowly obovate, keel smooth, extended into a stout scabrid awn 1/2–2 times length of glume body; lemmas ovate, 2.6–4 mm, keel gibbous, hispidulous above middle, often extended into a stout cusp; palea equal to lemma, keels winged, wings ciliolate, tip 2-toothed. Grain ca. 1 mm, broadly obtriangular, transversely rugose. Fl. and fr. May–Oct. 2n = 20, 36, 40, 48.
Por Richard W. Pohl
Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd., Enum. Pl. 1029. 1809; Cynosurus aegyptius L.
Anuales, extendiéndose por estolones cortos y formando tapetes radiales, las porciones erectas de los tallos 250 cm de largo, glabros, sólidos; nudos conspicuos; plantas hermafroditas. Vainas carinadas, glabras a pustuloso-vellosas; lígula una membrana, ca 0.5 mm de largo; láminas lineares, 17 cm de largo y 17 mm de ancho, papiloso-vellosas, ocasionalmente glaucas. Inflorescencia un verticilo de 24 espigas subsésiles, unilaterales, el eje prolongado como una punta desnuda más allá de las espiguillas; espiguillas ca 4 mm de largo, grises a purpúreas, sésiles, densamente imbricadas en 2 hileras a lo largo del lado inferior del raquis, comprimidas lateralmente, carinadas, con varios flósculos bisexuales, el más superior estéril; desarticulación generalmente arriba de la gluma inferior, el resto de la espiguilla caedizo como una unidad y la gluma superior y las lemas caedizas de la raquilla, las páleas permaneciendo; glumas 2, 1-nervias, anchas, la inferior ovada, 2 mm de largo, apiculada, la superior anchamente ovada, ca 3 mm de largo, truncada, con una arista corta y gruesa, divergente; flósculos 3; lemas fuertemente comprimidas, ovadas, 23 mm de largo, acuminadas, la quilla fuertemente arqueada, escábrida, la nervadura media conspicua, verde, las nervaduras laterales inconspicuas; páleas 2-carinadas, 3-nervias; lodículas 2, truncadas; estambres 3, las anteras ca 0.4 mm de largo, amarillas; estilos 2. Fruto un utrículo; semilla ampliamente ovada, truncada, fuertemente estriada; pericarpo delgado y delicado, evanescente.
Muy común, sabanas y áreas perturbadas, en todo el país; 0760 m; fl y fr julmar; Araquistain 1076, Moreno 2190; nativa del Viejo Mundo, naturalizada en todos los trópicos y subtrópicos. Género con 13 especies, de los trópicos del Viejo Mundo.
B.S. Fisher y H.G. Schweickerdt. A critical account of the species of Dactyloctenium Willd. in southern Africa. Ann. Natal Mus. 10: 4777. 1941.
Culms branching, radiate-spreading, rooting at the nodes, the ascending ends mostly 20-40 cm. long; spikes 2-5, 1-3 cm. long, thick, digitate, the rachis pro- duced beyond the spikelets in a stiff point; spikelets pectinate, crowded, about 3 mm. long; first glume 1.5 mm. long, acute, scabrous on the keel; second glume a little longer than the first with an awn 1-2.5 mm. long; lemmas acute or acuminate, 2.5-3.5 mm. long.
Hierbas estoloníferas, hasta ca. 55 cm; tallos sólidos. Hojas con la vainacarinada, glabra a pustuloso-pubescente; lígula una membrana, ca. 0.5 mm;lámina 1–8 cm × 1–7.5 mm, linear, papiloso-vellosa. Infl. una panícula ter-minal de varias espigas 1–3.5 cm, verticiladas; eje prolongado más allá de lasespiguillas distalmente. Espiguillas 3.5–4.5 mm, comprimidas lateralmente,sésiles; desarticulación sobre las glumas; glumas 1-nervadas, 2–3 mm; flós-culos 3; lemas 2–3 mm, acuminadas; páleas bicarinadas, trinervadas.
Cespitose annual herb with short stolons; culms decumbent, 5-40 cm tall, rooting at the lower nodes. Leaf ligules 0.5-0.8 mm long, ciliate; blades 1.5-10 x 0.1-0.5 cm, papillose-pilose. Inflorescences digitate, with 2-4 racemes 0.7-6 cm long, the terminal point 1-3 mm long. Spikelets 3-4.2 mm long, 3-5- flowered, gray to purplish; glumes 2-3.4 mm long, broadly lanceolate to ovate; lower glumes persistent; upper glumes deciduous, the apex with stout divergent awn 0.8-1.5 mm long; upper 1 or 2 florets reduced and sterile; lemmas 1.9-3 mm long, ovate, the apex acuminate, scabrous along keel, the awn to 1 mm long; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long, yellowish. Caryopsis 0.8-1 mm long, light brown.
Annual; culms up to 70(100) cm high, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes, frequently shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect. Leaf-blades flat, 3-25 cm long, 2.5-7.5 mm wide, papillose-hispid especially along the margins. Inflorescence composed of (1)3-9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes 1.2-6.5 cm long. Spikelets 3-4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5-2.2 mm long, the lower lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the upper elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn half to twice as long as the glume; lemmas narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, 2.6-4 mm long, the keel gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; palea-keels winged or wingless; anthers 0.25-0.8 mm long. Grain about 1 mm long, broadly obovate to obtriangular in profile, transversely rugose.
Culms widely spreading, flattened, rooting at the nodes; sheaths glabrous; blades to 8 mm wide, papillose-ciliate, especially at base; spikes 2–5, each 2–5 cm; second glume 2 mm, its awn 2–3 mm, often flexuous, usually divergent forward and over the adjacent spikelet; lemmas 2–5, 3 mm; 2n=20, 24, 36, 40, 48. Open ground, waste places, and fields; native of the Old World tropics, now well established as a weed in trop. Amer. and abundant in se. U.S., occasionally adventive in our range, n. to Me. and Ill.
Slender to moderately robust spreading annual; culms up to 70(100) cm tall, usually geniculately ascending and rooting from the lower nodes, often shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect; leaf laminas 3–25 cm × 2.5–7.5(12) mm, flat, papillose-hispid especially along the margins.
Caryopsis c. 1 mm long, broadly obovate to obtriangular, transversely rugose.
Spikelets 3.5–4.5 mm long, broadly ovate, 3–4-flowered; glumes subequal, 1.5–2.2 mm long, the inferior lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the superior elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn 0.5–2 times as long as the body; lemmas 2.6–4 mm long, narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, the keels gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; palea keels winged or wingless; anthers 0.25–0.8 mm long.
Racemes (1)3–9, 1.2–6.75 cm long, linear to narrowly oblong, ascending or radiating.
Grain ± 1 mm. long, broadly obovate to obtriangular in profile, transversely rugose.
Spikelets 3–4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; glumes subequal, 1.5–2.2 mm. long, the lower lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the upper elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn 1/2–2 times as long as the glume; lemmas narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, 2.6–4 mm. long, the keel gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm. long; palea-keels winged or unwinged; anthers 0.25–0.8 mm. long.
Slender to moderately robust spreading annual; culms up to 70(–100) cm. high, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes, frequently shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect.
Inflorescence composed of (1–)3–9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes 1.2–6.5 cm. long, ascending or often radiating horizontally from the top of the culm.
Leaf-blades flat, 3–25 cm. long, 2.5–7.5(–12) mm. wide, papillose-hispid especially along the margins.
Mat-forming annual, tufted (culms geniculately ascending and rooting at nodes), up to 0.75 m high. Leaf blades 30-250 mm long, 3-8 mm wide. Spikelets 3.5-4.5 mm long. Spikes 4-8, 15-65 mm long; lemma keel scabrid above middle, ending in a mucro to 1 mm long; anthers 0.3-0.8 mm long; grains broadly triangular, apex truncate to concave.
Annual; up to 0.75 m high; mat-forming; tufted. Culms geniculately ascending and rooting at nodes. Leaf blades 30-250 x 3-8 mm. Flowers: inflorescence digitate; racemes 4-8; spikelets 3.5-4.5 mm long; spikes 4-8; 15-65 mm long; lemma keel scabrid above middle; ending in a mucro up to 1 mm long; anthers 0.3-0.8 mm long; caryopsis broadly triangular; apex truncate to concave.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium grows as an annual with stems to 75 cm in height (usually shorter) and creeping via stolons and rooting at the nodes. The leaves are arranged alternately to 10 cm in length (usually shorter) with a basal sheath extending along the stem. At the point of divergence of the leaf sheath to the leaf blade is a fringe of cilia forming the ligule. The leaves are parallel veined. The zygomorphic flowers are arranged in a 4-5 digitate panicle of racemes each up to 5 cm in length and made of laterally compressed spikelets with 3 - 5 florets each. The spikelets to one side of the rachis. At the base of each spikelet are 2 yellow brown, ciliate structures called glumes that are shorter than the lemma and one with a curved awn. In each spikelet there are flowering structures each is subtended by 2 additional ciliate edged structures (lemma and palea). There is last floret at the top is sterile. The lower florets are fertile with 3 stamen and a superior ovary each with a single locule and seed. The fruit is a caryopsis
Dry Grassland; Mesic Grassland. Disturbed areas near water.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium grows in Human Altered environments (yards, abandoned fields, roadsides).
Fields and waste places in tropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
Common in cultivated fields and disturbed areas. Western slope of Fish Bay (A3916); In vicinity of Bordeaux (A2629), East End (A3790). Also on Anegada, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola; native to the Old World, now widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago but is widespread throughout the islands. It is native to the Africa, Asia, Pacific, and now throughout North, Central, and South America, parts of Europe, and Australia.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.
| Name | Language | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crow Foot Grass | English | BS |
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| Egyptian Grass | English | BS |
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