CHLORIDES 



215 



forms large rhizomes and coarse foliage but in lawns the 

 foliage is fine and the plants are stoloniferous. Although 

 called Bermuda-grass it is not a native of Bermuda. 

 (Cynodon Rich.) 



Capriola Dactylon (L.) Kuntze {Cynodon Dactylon (L.) Pers.). 

 (Fig. 46.) Bermuda-grass. A gray-green perennial; culms exten- 

 sively creeping, either below the surface of the soil forming rhi- 

 zomes, or above ground forming stolons, the fertile shoots ascend- 

 ing, smooth, a few inches to as much as 2 feet in height; sheaths 



smooth, flattened and keeled, vil- 

 lous on each side at the throat; 

 ligule a very short ciliate-fringed 

 membrane; blades fiat, 2 to 4 mm. 

 wide, 3^ to 2 inches long or on 

 sterile shoots sometimes much 

 longer, more or less scabrous, at 

 least on the margin, sharp-pointed; 

 inflorescence consisting of 3 to 6 

 slender ascending spikes 1 to 2 

 inches long, 'digitate at the summit 

 of the culms, pubescent at the base, 

 the rachis M to 3^ mm. wide; spike- 

 lets much compressed, often pur- 

 plish, ovate, about 2]^ mm. long; 

 glumes narrow, pointed, scabrous 

 on the keel, shorter than the spike- 

 let, the lemma pubescent on the 

 margin and often also on the keel. 



Fig. 46. Capriola Dactylon. Plant show- 

 ing stolons, X%; spikelet, X7. 



