Stephan L. Hatch

Plants tufted annuals or short-lived, shortly stoloniferous perennials.Culms 10-35(100) cm, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes. Sheaths 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. Panicle 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. Spikelets 3-4.5 mm long, about 3 mm wide. Glumes 1.5-2 mm; lower glumes ovate, acute; upper glumesoblong elliptic, obtuse, awned, awns 1-2.5 mm; lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, ovate, midveins extended into curved, 0.5-1 mm awns; paleasabout as long as the lemmas; anthers 0.5-0.8 mm, pale yellow. Seeds cuboid, about 1 mm long and wide, transversely rugose, light tan to reddish-brown. 2n = 20, 36, 40, 45, 48.

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).

Duration: Annual Nativity: Non-Native Lifeform: Graminoid General: Decumbent annual, often rooting at lower nodes, weak stems 10-50 cm tall, often forms radiating mats.  Vegetative: Blades flat, 2-8 mm broad, pustulate-ciliate on margins near base, occasional stiff hairs on one or both surfaces, ligule membranous, minutely erose, less than 0.5 mm long.Inflorescence: Spikes 2-6, short and stubby, paired or digitate at the stem apex, tuft of hair at point of union; spicate branches 2-6 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, spikelets numerous; glumes unequal in size and shape, lower glume awnless, upper glume with awn 0.5-3.5 mm; disarticulation between glumes, first remaining on rachis; caryopsis glistening red-brown with thin, evenly spaced ridges.Ecology: Widely naturalized weed found on roadsides, sandy washes, and disturbed soils. Notes: Introduced, but not as aggressive as Cynodon dactylon, widely naturalized. The pendulous, secund seeds mae it distinguishable from Cynodon dactylon. Ethnobotany: Cocopa said to have used the grain for food, widely used as such in other parts of the world. Etymology: Dactylocteniumis from Greek daktylos, finter and ktenion, little comb, aegyptium refers to its being Egyptian. Synonyms: Cynosurus aegyptius Editor: SBuckley, 2010

Cope, T.A. (1995) Poaceae in Flora of Somalia 4: 148-270

Plants annual, often stoloniferous and mat-forming; culms to (70(-100) cm tall. Leaves papillose-hispid, especially on the margins. Inflorescences of (1-)3-5 linear to narrowly oblong, ascending to spreading, spikelike branches 1.2-6.5(-7.5) cm long. Spikelets broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5-2.2 mm long, upper glumes with an awn about half as long as the body; lemmas narrowly ovate in profile, 2.6-4 mm long, acute, tips with a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; anthers 0.25-0.8 mm long. Grains transversely rugose.\Dactyloctemium aegyptium grows in sandy and alluvial soils in flood plains and in cultivated and disturbed areas at 0-1800 m. It is known from regions N1, N3, and S1-3 of the Flora of Somalia and in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world.

©Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Reproduced with permission.

Global distribution of Dactyloctenium aegyptium.