Cynodon dactylon, commonly known as Bermuda grass, also known as couch grass in Australia and New Zealand, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas.
Description
The blades are a grey-green colour and are short, usually long with rough edges.
The erect stems can grow tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in colour.
The seed heads are produced in a cluster of two to six spikes together at the top of the stem, each spike long.
It has a deep root system; in drought situations with penetrable soil, the root system can grow to over deep, though most of the root mass is less than under the surface. The grass creeps along the ground with its stolons, and roots wherever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat. C. dactylon reproduces through seeds, , and . Growth begins at temperatures above with optimum growth between ; in winter or in the dry season, the grass becomes dormant and turns brown. Growth is promoted by full sun and retarded by full shade, e.g., close to tree trunks.
Cultivation
Cynodon dactylon is widely cultivated in warm climates all over the world between about 30° S and 30° N latitude, and that get between of rainfall a year (or less, if irrigation is available). For example, in the United States, it is grown mostly in the southern half of the country.
Cultivars
Hundreds of cultivars have been created specifically for environmental tolerance and stakeholder requirements. New cultivars are released yearly.
[Shi H, Wang Y, Cheng Z, Ye T, Chan Z. Analysis of natural variation in bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) reveals physiological responses underlying drought tolerance. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(12):e53422.]
Uses
Religious
Commonly known as "
durva" or
dūrvāyugma in
India, this grass is used in the
Ayurveda system of medicine.
Performing a rite called "the consecration of
Rudra (Sanskrit
Rudrabhisheka) described in the
Puranas (Sanskrit
purāṇokta) while offering durva 11 times bestows long life. In Hinduism, it is considered important in the worship of Lord
Ganesha. A clump of 21 shoots of this grass is usually offered during puja (worship). It has been a part of Hindu rituals since Vedic times. A unique festival called Durga Ashtami, dedicated to this grass, is celebrated on the eighth day of
Shukla Paksha of Bhadra month of the
Hindu calendar.
It is known as "Arugampull" in Tamil language, "Garikēhullu in Kannada and "Karuka" in Malayalam and is part of the Dasapushpam (Ten sacred flowers) in Kerala.
This grass is a Yoruba herb used for Esu or Elegba in the Ifá system of orisha.
Medicinal value
The
are reported to act as a
diuretic in humans and the grass juice can act as an
astringent.
It has been observed that Cynodon dactylon may be selectively eaten by to swiftly induce vomiting when they have gastrointestinal problems. The effect may be due to irritation caused by bristles on the leaf margin.
Other
It is fast-growing and tough, making it popular and useful for sports fields, as when damaged it will recover quickly. It is a highly desirable turf grass in warm temperate climates, particularly for those regions where its tolerance to heat and drought enable it to survive where few other grasses do. This combination makes it a frequent choice for
in the southern and southeastern United States and South Africa. It has a relatively coarse-bladed form with numerous
selected for different turf requirements.
Bermuda grass has been cultivated in saline soils in California's Central Valley, which are too salt-damaged to support agricultural crops; it was successfully irrigated with saline water and used to graze cattle.[
]
Professional sports
National Football League
The following National Football League teams use it as the playing surface in their home stadiums:
-
Arizona Cardinals (State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona) (Tifway 419 Hybrid Bermudagrass)
-
Baltimore Ravens (M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore) (Tifway 419 Bermuda grass)
-
Chicago Bears (Soldier Field in Chicago) (Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass)
-
Jacksonville Jaguars (TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida) (Tifway 419 Bermuda grass)
-
Kansas City Chiefs (Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri) (Latitude 36 Bermuda grass)
-
Las Vegas Raiders (Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada)
-
Miami Dolphins (Hard Rock Stadium in Miami) (Tifway 419 Bermuda grass)
-
Philadelphia Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass)
-
San Francisco 49ers (Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California) (Tifway II Bermuda grass)
-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida) (Tifway 419 Bermudagrass)
-
Tennessee Titans (Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee) (Tifsport Bermuda sod)
-
Washington Commanders (FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland) (Latitude 36 Bermuda grass)
Major League Baseball
The following Major League Baseball teams use it as the playing surface in their home stadiums:
Ecology
Invasive species
It is a highly aggressive
invasive species, crowding out most other grasses and invading other habitats, and has become a hard-to-eradicate
weed in some areas (it can be controlled somewhat with
Triclopyr,
Mesotrione,
Fluazifop, and
Glyphosate).
This weedy nature leads some gardeners to give it the name of "devil grass". Bermuda grass is incredibly difficult to control in flower beds and most herbicides do not work. However, Ornamec, Ornamec 170, Turflon ester (tricyclopyr), and Imazapyr have shown some effectiveness. All of these items are difficult to find in retail stores, as they are primarily marketed to professional landscapers.
The hybrid variety Tifton 85, like some other grasses (e.g. sorghum), produces cyanide under certain conditions,
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