Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd.

This grass is said to be rich in cyanogenetic glycoside and thefore is a danger to stock at certain times. It is found usually in sandy soils.

An exceedingly variable pantropical annual weed, typically with sprawling geniculately ascending culms and linear spikes radiating in a star-like manner from the culm-tip, but also including plants with compact oblong spikes, occasionally very similar to those of Dactyloctenium aristatum from which it is most easily distinguished by its rugose grain. Duthie has reported that it is a very nutritious fodder grass for cattle, being both fattening and milk-producing. Egyptian Finger-grass is sporadic in its appearance.

Willdenow misspelled the specific epithet as "aegyptiacus," but this is simply an orthographical error, and does not affect the valid publication of the combination.

This is a widely distributed, annual weed.

Inflorescence of 2-7, usually 4, stout digitate spikes. Spikelets usually 3-flowered, 3-4 mm long; glumes keeled, the keel hirsute, 1-nerved; lower glume with an awn of 1-2 mm long, semi-ovate in side view, pointed, about 2.5 mm long, upper glume as long as the lower glume, with a slightly curved strong awn of about 1 mm long; lemma keeled, pointed, oblong-ovate in side view, 3 mm long, 3-nerved, lateral nerves close to the margins; anthers 3, about 0.5 mm long. Utricles globose, rugose, about 1 mm long.

Annual; culms up to 70(100) cm high, usually geniculately ascending and rooting at the lower nodes, frequently shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, less often erect. Leaf-blades flat, 3-25 cm long, 2.5-7.5 mm wide, papillose-hispid especially along the margins. Inflorescence composed of (1)3-9 linear to narrowly oblong spikes 1.2-6.5 cm long. Spikelets 3-4-flowered, broadly ovate, 3.5-4.5 mm long; glumes subequal, 1.5-2.2 mm long, the lower lanceolate in profile with a thick scabrid keel, the upper elliptic to narrowly obovate in profile, the smooth keel extended into a stout divergent scabrid awn half to twice as long as the glume; lemmas narrowly ovate to ovate in profile, 2.6-4 mm long, the keel gibbous, concave and scabrid above the middle and often extended into a stout cusp or mucro up to 1 mm long; palea-keels winged or wingless; anthers 0.25-0.8 mm long. Grain about 1 mm long, broadly obovate to obtriangular in profile, transversely rugose.

Annual. Culms slender to moderately robust, geniculately ascending to shortly stoloniferous and mat-forming, infrequently erect, 15–60 cm tall. Leaf sheaths with ciliate margin; leaf blades flat, 5–20 × 0.2–0.6 cm, tuberculate-pilose on both surfaces, apex acute or acuminate; ligule membranous, 1–2 mm, margin ciliate. Inflorescence digitate, racemes 2–9, linear to narrowly oblong, often radiating horizontally. Spikelets broadly ovate, 3–4.5 mm, florets 3–4; lower glume narrowly lanceolate, keel thick, hispidulous; upper glume elliptic to narrowly obovate, keel smooth, extended into a stout scabrid awn 1/2–2 times length of glume body; lemmas ovate, 2.6–4 mm, keel gibbous, hispidulous above middle, often extended into a stout cusp; palea equal to lemma, keels winged, wings ciliolate, tip 2-toothed. Grain ca. 1 mm, broadly obtriangular, transversely rugose. Fl. and fr. May–Oct. 2n = 20, 36, 40, 48.

Distributed in the tropical regions of the Old World.

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World; introduced in America.

Fl. & Fr. Per. July-October.

Disturbed weedy places, especially on sandy soils. Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [tropical and warm-temperate regions of the Old World; introduced to America and Europe].

Cynosurus aegyptius Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 72. 1753; Chlo-ris mucronata Michaux; Eleusine aegyptia (Linnaeus) Desfontaines; E. pectinata Moench, nom. illeg. superfl.

Cynosurus aegyptius L., Sp. Pl. 72. 1753.

aegyptium: of Egypt

Spreading annual grass, rooting from the knee-bent lower nodes. Inflorescences digitate, often in thick radiating racemes with bristly spikelets.

Tropical and warm-temperate regions of the Old World; introduced weed in America and Europe

Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) K. Richt. PI. Eur. 1: 68. 1S90
Cynosurus aegyplius L. Sp. PI. 72. 1753. (Localities cited, Africa. Asia, America.) Aegilops saccharinum Walt. Fl. Car. 249. 1788. (Type from South Carolina.) EUusine aegyptiaca Desf. Fl. Atlant. 1: 85. 1798. (Based on Cynosurus aegyplius L.) EUusine pectinala Moench. Meth. Suppl. 68. 1802. (Based on Cynosurus aegyplius L.) Chloris mucronala Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 59. 1803. (Type from Carolina, Michaux.) Eleusine aegyptia Pers. Syn. PI. 1: S7. 1805. (Based on Cynosurus aegyplius L.) Daclyloclenium aegypliacum Willd. Enum. 1029. 1809. (Based on Cynosurus aegyplius L.) Daciyloclenium mucronatum Willd. Enum. 1029. 1809. (Based on Chloris mucronala Michx.) Eleusine mucronala Stokes, Bot. Mat. Med. 1; 150. 1812. (Type from Jamaica, Broughlon.)
Not E. mucronala Michx. 1803. Rabdochloa mucronala Beauv. Agrost. 84, 158, 176. 1812. (Presumably based on Chloris mucronala
Michx.) EUusine cruciala Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 176. 1816. (Type presumably from South Carolina.) Daclyloclenium meridionale Hamilt. Prodr. 6. 1825. (Localities cited. West Indies and tropical
America.) Daclyloclenium mucronatum var. erectum Foum. Mex. PI. Gram. 2: 144. 1886. (Localities cited,
Mexico, Gouin 6S; Karwinsky 9S9, 989b.)
Culms branching, decumbent, spreading at the base and rooting at the lower nodes, the ascending ends 20-40 cm. long; sheaths overlapping, compressed, glabrous; ligule membranaceous, minutely erose, about 0.3 mm. long; blades flat, mostly 5-10 cm. long, 2-5 mm. wide, scabrous and papillose on the margins, othenvise glabrous or nearly so; spikes 2-5, mostly 2-5 cm. long; spikelets pectinate, about 3 mm. long; first glume 1.5 mm. long, acute, scabrous on the keel; second glume a little longer than the first with an awn 1-2.5 mm. long from a broad apex; lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm. long, acute or acuminate, scabrous on the keel, otherwise glabrous.
Type locai,ity: "Africa, Asia, America." Distribution: Warm regions of both hemispheres.

Dactyloctenium aegyptium, or Egyptian crowfoot grass is a member of the family Poaceae native in Africa. The plant mostly grows in heavy soils at damp sites.