Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dactyloctenium geminatum
crowfoot grass, crows foot grass, Durban crowfoot, Durban crowfoot grass, Durban crowsfoot grass, Egyptian grass
double combgrass
10-35(100) cm, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes.
35-112 cm, ascending.
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.
4-25 cm long, 3-6 mm wide, flat, more or less glabrous.
3-4.5 mm long, about 3 mm wide.
3-5.3 mm, with 3-6 florets.
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.
subequal, 1.3-1.8 mm, widely elliptic to ovate or obovate in profile, awned, awns 4.5-10 mm;
lemmas 3-3.8 mm, lanceolate, keels smooth or finely scabridulous towards the acute or mucronate apices;
palea keels not winged;
anthers 1.1-1.7 mm.
cuboid, about 1 mm long and wide, transversely rugose, light tan to reddish-brown.
about 1 mm long, transversely rugose.
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.
branches (1)2(3), 2.5-7 cm, often slightly falcate, only the first few spikelets in contact with the spikelets of adjacent branches.
= 20, 36, 40, 45, 48.
= unknown.
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dactyloctenium geminatum
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.)
Dactyloctenium geminatum is native to tropical eastern Africa. It was found at one time on ballast dumps in Maryland, but has not survived in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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