Cynodon nlemfuensis var. nlemfuensis*
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland.
Notes.
Introduced. SE Qld as far W as the Charleville area, near-coastal N Qld between
Mackay and Cairns; isolated records from
better-watered areas of central Australia,
and from N of Adelaide. Endemic to wetter parts of eastern and central Africa -
Ethiopia to Zimbabwe and Angola; introduced as a fodder
grass elsewhere. Found on sandy to black alluvial soils in disturbed area;
vigorous, forming dense swards.
Introduced as a pasture grass; has become a
vigorous weed in some areas.
The common name, Bermuda Grass, is applied to C.
dactylon in other countries. The name of another East African species, C.
plectostachyus (Schum.) Pilg. has been wrongly applied to specimens of C.
nlemfuensis var. nlemfuensis in Australia. True C.
plectostachyus is easily distinguished by the small glumes, which are less
than 1/3, and often less than 1/5, as long as the spikelet. C. nlemfuensis
var. nlemfuensis crosses with the diploid form of C. aethiopicus,
and also the tetraploid C. dactylon var. dactylon. C.
nlemfuensis differs from C. dactylon in the presence of woody
stolons, absence of underground rhizomes, and in having flaccid rather than
stiff spikes, and often longer leaves. The respective habits are very similar,
and the species are often difficult to separate if the basal parts are missing
from the specimen.
