Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.

crowfoot grass, beach wiregrass


Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Dactyloctenium = "Finger comb" [Greek] refering to the inflorescence shape
Species etymology: aegyptium = from Egypt, although this is found across the entirity of Africa and tropical Asia
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1908

Map

 Distribution of Dactyloctenium aegyptium in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Dactyloctenium aegyptium in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Inflorescence
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Inflorescence
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Inflorescence

Plant

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Plant
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Plant
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Plant
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Plant

Habit

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Habit
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Habit
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Habit
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Habit

Spikelets

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Spikelets
Dactyloctenium aegyptium Spikelets

Description

Slender to moderately robust spreading annual; culms up to 70(–100) cm. high, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes, frequently shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect. Leaf-blades flat, 3–25 cm. long, 2.5–7.5(–12) mm. wide, papillose-hispid especially along the margins. Inflorescence composed of (1–)3–9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes 1.2–6.5 cm. long, ascending or often radiating horizontally from the top of the culm. Spikelets 3–4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; glumes subequal, 1.5–2.2 mm. long, the lower lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the upper elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn 1/2–2 times as long as the glume; lemmas narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, 2.6–4 mm. long, the keel gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm. long; palea-keels winged or unwinged; anthers 0.25–0.8 mm. long. Grain ± 1 mm. long, broadly obovate to obtriangular in profile, transversely rugose.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D. 1970. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Gramineae (Part 1). Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London. 176 pp. )

Annual, often stoloniferous and mat-forming, up to 70(–100) cm high; leaves papillose-hispid, especially on the margins. Inflorescence comprising (1–)3–9 linear to narrowly oblong racemes 1.2–6.5(–7.5) cm long, these ascending or radiating. Spikelets broadly ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5–2.2 mm long, the upper with an awn from half as long to as long as the body; lemmas narrowly ovate in profile, 2.6–4 mm long, acute and with a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; anthers 0.25–0.8 mm long. Grain transversely rugose.
(Description source: Cope, T.A, (1995) Flora Somalia, Vol 4. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, London. 312 pp. )

Slender to moderately robust spreading annual; culms up to 70(100) cm tall, usually geniculately ascending and rooting from the lower nodes, often shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect; leaf laminas 3–25 cm × 2.5–7.5(12) mm, flat, papillose-hispid especially along the margins.Racemes (1)3–9, 1.2–6.75 cm long, linear to narrowly oblong, ascending or radiating.Spikelets 3.5–4.5 mm long, broadly ovate, 3–4-flowered; glumes subequal, 1.5–2.2 mm long, the inferior lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the superior elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn 0.5–2 times as long as the body; lemmas 2.6–4 mm long, narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, the keels gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; palea keels winged or wingless; anthers 0.25–0.8 mm long.Caryopsis c. 1 mm long, broadly obovate to obtriangular, transversely rugose.
(Description source: Pope, G.V. (ed). 1999. Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 10. Part 2. Kew, London. 261 pp. )

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 glumes oblong elliptic, obtuse, awned, awns 1-2.5 mm; lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, ovate, midveins extended into curved, 0.5-1 mm awns; paleas about 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.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M., Long, S. & Piep, M.B. (eds.) 2003. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 2. Oxford University Press, New York. 783 pp. http://floranorthamerica.org/Dactyloctenium_aegyptium )

Slender to moderately robust, spreading annuals; culms 70-100 cm tall, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at lower nodes, usually stoloniferous and mat-forming. Sheaths 2.5-4 cm long, compressed, glabrous or with a few bulbous-based hairs on the keel; ligule a narrow fimbriate membrane; blades flat, 3-25 cm long, 2.5-7.5 (-12) mm wide, papillose-hispid, especially along margins. Inflorescences composed of (1-)3-9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes 1.2-6.5 cm long, ascending to radiating horizontally from top of culm; spikelets 3- 4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5-2.2 mm long, first glume lanceolate in profile, keel thick, - scabrid, second glume elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, keel smooth, prolonged into a stout, divergent, scabrid awn 0.5-2 times as long as the glume; lemmas narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, 2.6-4 mm long, keel gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and usually prolonged into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; palea keels + winged. Caryopsis broadly obovate to triangular, ca. 1 mm long, transversely rugose. [2n = 18, 20, 22, 23, 27, 34, 36, 38, 40, 44-46, 48, 52.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )