Mary E. Barkworth FNA 25: 235-241

Plants soloniferous, not rhizomatous; stolons stout, woody, usually lying flat on the ground. Culms 20-60 cm tall, 1-5 mm thick, not becoming woody. Sheaths glabrous; ligules about 0.3 mm long, membranous, ciliolate; blades 5-16 cm long, 2-6 mm wide, abaxial surfaces glabrous or with scattered long hairs, adaxial surfaces with scattered long hairs. Panicles with 4-13 branches; branches (2-)4-7(-10) cm long, in 1(-3) whorls, lax, usually green, axes 3-angled. Spikelets 2-3 mm long. Lower glumes 1.7-2 mm long; upper glumes 1.5-2.3(-3) mm long; lemmas 1.9-2.9 mm long, keels not wnged, shortly pubescent, at least distally; paleas glabrous. 2n = 18, 36.

Cynodon nlemfuensisis native to eastern and central Africa. It is now established in southern Texas, U.S.A. (Jones and Jones 1992) and may be present in other parts of the southern United States.  It is similar to Cynodon dactylon but differs in its larger size and in lacking rhizomes. It is also less hardy, not becoming established where temperatures fall below -4C. 

Cultivars of Cynondon nlemfuensis include 'Florisco", 'Florona', Ona', and 'Costa Rica".