Cynodon hybrid
|
|
Cynodon hybrid
Poaceae (Grass Family)Origin Not StatedBermuda Hybrid |
June Photo
Plant Characteristics:
Culms, flattened, wiry, glabrous, from tough woody, scaly rhizomes, the
flowering culms erect, 4-7 cm. long; ligule a conspicuous ring of white hairs;
blades flat or slightly inrolled, glabrous, many nerved, 1-2.5 cm. long; spikes
3-4, 1-1.8 cm. long; spikelets 1 fld., awnless, sessile in 2 rows along 1 side
of a slender continuous rachis, closely appressed, imbricate, 2 mm. long; glumes
narrow, acuminate, 1-nerved, subequal, shorter than floret; lemma acute,
3-nerved, boat shaped, pubescent on keel; fls. perfect.
(description mine following Munz). Other
than being smaller than C. dactylon, the only difference in
this species is in the number of flowering spikes.
It is interesting that the spikelets are the same size as in C. dactylon.
If this plant had not been collected in late spring when the ground was
still moist and found adjacent to a robust C. dactylon it
could easily have been identified as a depauperate specimen of that species.
(my comments).
Habitat:
Bermuda hybrids were designed for putting greens, lawns and ground cover
on banks. (Sunset Editors, New
Western Garden book, 1984 265). This
species should grow anywhere C. dactylon will grow, however, this is not
the case as evidenced by it being found only once in Upper Newport Bay.
(my comment).
Name:
Greek, kuon, dog, and odous, tooth, because of hard scales
on the rhizomes. (Munz, Flora
So. Calif. 959).
General:
Rare in the study area, found only on a bank southerly of 23rd St. that
slid during the rains of early 1993. The
grass was probably carried from a lawn in the yard above.
(my comments).
Hybrid Bermudas are finer in texture and better in color than the common
kind. They crowd out common Bermuda
in time but are harder to overseed with rye, bluegrass, or red fescue.
(Sunset Editors, New Western Garden Book, 1984 264).
Text Ref:
Munz, Flora So. Calif. 959; Sunset Editors, New Western Garden
Book, 1984 264.
Photo Ref:
June-July 93 # 9,11.
Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.
Computer Ref: Plant Data 457.
Have plant specimen.
Last edit 4/12/03.
 |
June Photo