Circular No. 31. 



Agros. 82. 



United States Department of Agricnltnre, 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY, 



[Grass and Forage Plant Investigations.] 

 F. LAMSON-SCRIBNER, Agrostologist. 



BERMUDA GRASS. 



Bermuda grass {Cynodon dactylon) is well known throughout 

 the Southern States. It is a native of tropical regions of the East, 

 and was introduced into 

 the United States at an 

 early period. It has since 

 spread over the region from 

 Maryland to Missouri and 

 Texas, and is locally abun- 

 dant from New Mexico to 

 southern California. Al- 

 though its name would in- 

 dicate that it came from 

 the Bermudas, it is well 

 known in Europe, and is 

 thought to have originally 

 come from Southern Asia. 

 Bermuda grass is said to 

 have been first noticed in 

 this country about 1825 by 

 General Bethune, of Geor- 

 gia, who planted it in many 

 places throughout the 

 South. 



There are many local 

 names for Bermuda, 

 among which are reed 

 grass, scutch grass, Ba- 

 hama grass, and, in the 

 region of Washington, 

 wire grass. In Australia 



it is called couch grass. fig. l.--Bennudagra.ss(C'|/Hod<./i tktc(y<o»o. 



It is a standard grass in the South, but can not be grown success- 

 fully north of Virginia and Oklahoma. 



