Cynodon dactylon
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
Bermuda grass
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Grasses
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
CYNDAC
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Detailed description
Mat-forming grass to 55 cm tall, with long rhizomes and stolons. Leaves are held on upright culm to 50cm tall; leaf blades up to 9 cm long, 1–3mm wide (sometimes wider), grey-green, slightly hairy. Flower head has 3–7 branches coming out of the same point, each branch is up to 6 cm long, and has 2 rows of green or purplish spikelets.
Similar taxa
Creeping stems, branched (digitate) flower heads. Similar inflorescence to Digitaria species, but the foliage on Cynodon dactylon is more robust and stiff.
Life cycle
Perennial
Year naturalised
1846
Origin
Pantropical
Reason for introduction
Agricultural
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.