Dactyloctenium aegyptium
crowfoot grass, crows foot grass, Durban crowfoot, Durban crowfoot grass, Durban crowsfoot grass, Egyptian grass
10-35(100) cm, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes.
keeled, with papillose-based hairs distally;
ligules 0.5-1.5 mm, membranous, ciliate;
blades 5-22 cm long, 2-8(12) mm wide, with papillose-based hairs.
3-4.5 mm long, about 3 mm wide.
1.5-2 mm;
lower glumes ovate, acute;
upper glumes oblong elliptic, obtuse, awned, awns 1-2.5 mm;
lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, ovate, midveins extended into curved, 0.5-1 mm awns;
paleas about as long as the lemmas;
anthers 0.5-0.8 mm, pale yellow.
cuboid, about 1 mm long and wide, transversely rugose, light tan to reddish-brown.
branches (1)2-6(8), 1.5-6 cm, only the first few spikelets in contact with the spikelets of adjacent branches;
branch axes extending beyond the spikelets for 1-6 mm.
= 20, 36, 40, 45, 48.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dactyloctenium aegyptium is a widely distributed weed of disturbed sites in the Flora region. It is also considered a weed in southern Africa, but the seeds have been used for food and drink in times of famine. In addition, bruised young seeds have been used as a fish poison, and extracts are reputed to help kidney ailments and coughing (Koekemoer 1991). In Australia, it is planted as a sand stabilizer along the coast (Jacobs and Hastings 1993).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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