*Cynodon dactylon

Family Poaceae

Couch Grass

Rhizomatous or stoloniferous mat-forming perennial grass to 30 cm high, rooting at the nodes. Longevity indefinite.

Flowers: December – March, wind-pollinated.

Fruit: Dry one-seeded, indehiscent fruit.

Seed:

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Weed of woodland and grasslands, reportedly naturalised near Sydney by 1804. Some forms in saltmarshes and around inland saltlakes are native.
• Common weed in woodland and grassland at the Australian Botanic Garden.
• Resprouts readily from rhizomes after fire, and
• Periodic fire and grazing probably allow it to compete with taller growing tussock grasses.
• C4 warm season metabolism.

Asterisk * indicates exotic species naturalised at the Australian Botanic Garden.