Rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials, usually low-growing, often sward-forming. Leaf-blades linear and flat, sometimes filiform or lanceolate; ligule membranous, often ciliate on the upper edge. Inflorescence of digitate 1-sided spikes which are sometimes borne in 2 or more closely spaced whorls. Spikelets narrowly ovate, 1-flowered, with or without a rhachilla extension (this very rarely bearing a tiny vestigial floret), strongly laterally compressed, imbricate in 2 rows, awnless; glumes 2, narrow, subequal, shorter than the floret, 1-nerved (rarely the upper 3 nerved); lemma narrowly ovate in side view, more or less ciliate on the keel and often also on the side nerves, usually glabrous on the flanks, its callus glabrous. Caryopsis ellipsoid, laterally compressed.

A genus of 8 species in tropical and warm temperate regions; represented locally by 2 species.

Lower Taxa

• Cynodon arcuatus Presl
• Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.

Related Synonym(s):

• Capriola dactylon (Linn.) O. Ktze. = Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.
• Cynodon dactylon var. intermedius (Rang. & Tad.) C.E.C. Fischer = Cynodon arcuatus Presl
• Cynodon glabratus = Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.
• Cynodon intermedius Rang. & Tad. = Cynodon arcuatus Presl
• Cynodon occidentalis Willd. ex Steud. = Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.
• Panicum dactylon Linn. = Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.