Cynodon aethiopicus Clayton & J.R.Harlan × C. nlemuensis Vanderyst

Puerto Rican stargrass, star grass

Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Cynodon = "dog's tooth" [Greek] refering to the scales on the stolons
Species etymology:
Photosynthetic type: C₄ (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1984

Map

Distribution of Cynodon aethiopicus x nlemfuensis in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Plant

Habit

Spikelets

Collar

Description

Plants intermediate between Cynodon nlemufensis and C. aethiopicus, rather robust stoloniferous and rhizomatous perennials. Cynodon aethiopicus normally has multiple whorls per panicle and a reddish inflorescence whereas C. nlemfuensis has one whorl and a greenish inflorescence. Colonys of the hybrid usually have one whorl per inflorescence but some inflorescences have a second whorl. The inflorescence is also usually reddish colored. This may be the best way to identify this hybrid in the field without doing DNA work. It is unclear if this hybrid is capable for forming viable seeds, but some populations have been found on Maui where they weren't planted but these could have been from fragmentation rather than seed.
(Description source: Kevin Faccenda pers. obv. )

All photos are by Kevin Faccenda unless otherwise noted and are licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY license. All images by others are licensed under CC BY NC license or are used with permission