CSIR-NEERI Biodiversity Portal

EGYPTIAN CROWFOOT GRASS

(Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.)

Botanical name	: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.
Common Name	: Egyptian crowfoot grass
Family	: Poaceae
Synonym	: Cynosurus aegyptius L.
About	: Egyptian crowfoot grass is a tufted, slightly stoloniferous annual or short-lived perennial grass, up to 75 cm high. The stems are slender, erect or geniculate, and ascending, glabrous, smooth. The stolons may creep and they root from the lower nodes. Roots are horizontal. The leaves are broadly linear, 2.5-12.5 cm by 2-4 mm, somewhat succulent and crisp, tapering to a fine point, flat, glabrous or hairy or hispidly ciliate with bulbous-based hairs. The inflorescences are borne at the apex of the stem (racemes). They are typically digitate or subdigitate and arranged in 2 to 6 unilateral, horizontal spikes. Spikelets many, 3-5 flowered, spreading at right angles to the rachis, up to 3.2 mm long. The seeds are angular, wrinkled or rugose, white or brown in colour and about 1 mm long. The seed heads are typical, looking like a crow's foot.Dactyloctenium aegyptium is native to Africa and widely distributed throughout the tropics, subtropics, and warm temperate regions. It is among the 20 most globally widespread weed. It is used as a fodder.