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Cynosurus echinatus L.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
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Aperçu
Renseignements Généraux
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Family :

Famille :

Poaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Bristly dogtail

(English) (Barkworth et al. 2007; AOSA 2023)
Bristly dogstail (English) (GOERT 2003)
Bristly dogstail grass (English) (DiTomaso and Healy 2007; USDA-NRCS 2023)
Hedgehog dogtail (English) (GOERT 2003; DiTomaso and Healy 2007)
Hedgehog dogtailgrass (English) (DiTomaso and Healy 2007)
Hedge-hoggy (English) (DiTomaso and Healy 2007)
Annual dogtail (English) (GOERT 2003; DiTomaso and Healy 2007)
Rough dogstail (English) (GOERT 2003)
Rough dog’s-tail (English) (USDA-ARS-NPGS 2023)
Rough dog’s-tail grass (English) (Lancaster et al. 2006; Read et al. 2017)

Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) florets in palea view. Scale in mm.

  • Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) florets in palea view. Scale in mm.

  • Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) florets in lemma view. Scale in mm.

  • Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) florets with awn in lemma view. Scale in mm.

  • Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) caryopsis in embryo view. Scale in mm.

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Cynosurus echinatus is native to northern Africa, Macaronesia, temperate Asia, India, eastern and southern Europe (USDA-ARS-NPGS 2023). It has been introduced and naturalized in North America, South America, Australia, and central Europe and some areas further north (Tutin et al. 1980; Barkworth et al. 2007).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    Cynosurus echinatus prefers dry, open habitats and can be found in cultivated fields, roadsides, railways, near grain elevators, in livestock paddocks, pastures, grasslands, Quercus spp. (oak) woodlands, dry forests, coastal bluffs, riverbanks, and in other disturbed areas (Tutin et al. 1980; GOERT 2003; Lancaster et al. 2006; Barkworth et al. 2007; DiTomaso and Healy 2007; Read et al. 2017; Verloove 2023). Outside of its native range, C. echinatus is commonly found associated with other non-native grass species and negatively impact the composition of native ecosystems (GOERT 2003).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Annual

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Floret

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Cynosurus echinatus is a cool season annual that reproduces and spreads by seed. The seeds germinate in fall and overwinter as small seedlings that sets seed in the following spring or summer (GOERT 2003). There is conflicting information on whether C. echinatus produces seeds that can remain viable in the soil (GOERT 2003; DiTomaso and Healy 2007).

    Some populations of C. echinatus associated with Triticum species (wheat) and Brassica species (canola crops) in South America are reported to have developed herbicide resistance (DiTomaso and Healy 2007; Heap 2023).

    Senescent C. echinatus plants in association with Drechslera spp. fungi is suspected as the primary source of the toxin cytochalasin believed to cause Acute Bovine Liver Disease (ABLD) of grazing beef and dairy cattle in Australia, although researchers have not been able to experimentally induce the disease in cattle (Lancaster et al. 2006; Read et al. 2017).

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Fertile Spikelet

      Size

      • Fertile spikelet length: 7 – 14 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
      • Glume length: 5.5 – 12 mm; width: 0.4-0.9 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
      • Glume awn length: 0.5 – 2.2 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).

      Shape

      • Fertile spikelet laterally compressed.
      • Glumes narrow teardrop shaped, tipped with an awn.

      Surface Texture

      • Glumes thin, translucent (hyaline), glabrous, 1-nerved.

      Colour

      • Fertile spikelet pale yellowish-brown coloured.

      Other Features

      • Fertile spikelet contains 1 – 5 fertile florets (Barkworth 2003).
      • Fertile spikelet disarticulates above the glumes and between florets at the rachilla nodes.
      • Glumes remain attached to the plant.

    • Sterile Spikelet

      Size

      • Spikelet length: 7 – 13 mm (Sharp and Simon 2002).
      • Glume length: about 7 mm (Barkworth et al. 2003).
      • Lemma length: 2.5 – 5 mm (Sharp and Simon 2002).
      • Lemma awn length: 1.4 – 3 mm (Sharp and Simon 2002).

      Shape

      • Sterile spikelet laterally compressed.
      • Glumes and lemmas very narrow teardrop shaped or linear, tapering to a bristle-like awn (DiTomaso and Healy 2007).

      Surface Texture

      • Glumes and lemmas thin, translucent (hyaline).
      • Glumes and lemmas glabrous or roughened (scabridulous).

      Colour

      • Sterile spikelet pale yellowish-brown coloured.

      Other Features

      • Sterile spikelet consists of two glumes and several single-nerved lemmas attached to a continuous rachilla (Hitchcock and Chase 1951).
      • Sterile florets reduced to empty lemmas.
      • Sterile spikelets remain attached to the plant and do not disarticulate at maturity.

    • Floret

      Size

      • Fertile floret length*: 5.0 – 6.0 mm (average 5.4 mm); width 1.1 – 1.3 mm (average 1.2 mm).
      • Awn length*: 8.0 – 12.2 mm (average 10.2 mm).
      • Rachilla length*: 0.8 – 1.2 mm (average 1.0 mm).
      • Palea about equal to lemma length (excluding awn)
      • Rachilla about one-fourth the length of the floret.
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 10 florets in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-59757

      Additional fertile floret measurements from the literature:
      • Lemma 4 – 7 mm long; awn 5 – 18 (25) mm long (Barkworth et al. 2007).
      • Floret 5 – 5.5 mm long, 1.1 – 1.3 mm wide, awn 10 – 15 mm long (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).
      • Lemma 5 – 7 mm long, 1.25 – 1.5 mm wide, awn 10 – 15 mm long (Musil 1963).
      • Lemma 5 – 7 mm long; awn 6 – 16 mm long (Sharp and Simon 2002).

      Shape

      • Fertile floret narrowly teardrop shaped (lanceolate), slightly dorsal-ventrally compressed
      • Lemma back rounded (not keeled).
      • Lemma tip entire or with two teeth.
      • Awn attached at tip of lemma or in sinus between the lemma teeth.
      • Palea keels rolled inward, palea tip concealed by margins of lemma appearing pinched together.
      • Rachilla slender, tip not expanded.
      • Callus narrow, slightly rounded, point of attachment visible in palea view.

      Surface Texture

      • Lemma papery or leathery, margins hyaline.
      • Lemma lower half surface smooth and hairless, upper half and near margins with short, stiff, upward pointing hairs with swollen bases.
      • Lemma is 5-nerved.
      • Palea surface granular between the keels, with short, stiff hairs in upper half, keel hairs (palea teeth) stiff, pointed, and widely spaced.
      • Awn stiff, extending from lemma apex, covered with short stiff hairs.
      • Callus smooth

      Colour

      • Floret light yellowish-brown coloured.
      • Lemma nerves are lighter in colour than body of lemma.

      Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) florets with awn in lemma view. Scale in mm.

    • Caryopsis

      Size

      • Caryopsis length*: 3.1 – 3.2 mm (average 3.14 mm).
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 2 caryopses in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-59757

      Additional caryopsis measurements from the literature:
      • Caryopsis 3 – 4 mm long (Sharp and Simon 2002).
      • Caryopsis 2.9 – 3.1 mm long, 1 – 1.2 mm wide (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).

      Shape

      • Caryopsis narrowly teardrop to oblong shaped, slightly dorsal-ventrally compressed, widely grooved on hilum side.

      Surface Texture

      • Surface of caryopsis smooth, hairless; palea may adhere to caryopsis.

      Colour

      • Caryopsis light brown coloured.

      Other Features

      • Hilum oval shaped (Nesbitt 2006).

      Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) caryopsis in embryo view. Scale in mm.

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    <
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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo length*: 0.74 – 0.77 mm (average 0.76 mm).
      • Embryo about one-fifth the length of as the caryopsis.
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 10 florets in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-59757

      Shape

      • Embryo teardrop shaped.

      Endosperm

      • Endosperm is solid (Terrell 1971).

      Other Features

      • Embryo is in the lateral position (Martin 1946).

      Cynosurus echinatus (bristly dogtail) caryopsis in embryo view. Scale in mm.

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    In C. echinatus the lemma and palea are tough and leathery, they tightly enclose the caryopsis and are difficult to remove. The lemma has short stiff hairs with swollen bases, the bases are whitish in colour and stand out from the body yellowish-brown colour of the lemma. The lemma awn is long and stiff. The rachilla, although usually one-quarter the length of the floret, is slender, not necessarily straight, and the tip is not expanded as in Cynosurus cristata.

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • The inflorescence in C. echinatus is a dense panicle, ovoid to nearly globose in shape but formed on one side of the tip of the stem, 1 – 4 (8) cm long and 1 – 2 cm wide.
    • Two types of spikelets are produced within the panicle and are usually grouped in pairs: one sterile spikelet and one fertile spikelet.
    • Sterile spikelets remain attached to the plant and do not disarticulate at maturity.
    • Glumes of the fertile spikelets remain attached to the plant.

    Description based on Barkworth et al. (2007), and DiTomaso and Healy (2007).

    Vegetative Features

    • Stem mostly upright, solitary or in grouped together in tufts, 9 – 100 cm tall.
    • Leaf sheaths smooth and hairless.
    • Leaf blades linear, flat, 3 – 14 (23) cm long, 2.5 – 14 mm wide, rough to the touch (scabrous).
    • Roots fibrous and usually shallow.

    Description based on Sharp and Simon (2002), Barkworth et al. (2007), and DiTomaso and Healy (2007).

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Cynosurus cristatus L., crested dogtail

    The florets are sulfur yellow coloured, lemma surface granular in the lower two-thirds and with whitish hairs across the upper one-third; lemma 3.5 – 4 mm long, usually less than 1 mm wide; lemma tapered to a point or awned, awn is short, up to 3 mm long; the callus is narrow and blunt, point of attachment not usually visible in palea view; the rachilla is short, stout, and flared into a disk at the tip (Musil 1963; Barkworth et al. 2007). In contrast, the awn of C. echinatus can extend to about 12 mm long, stiff hairs cover the upper half of the lemma, and the rachilla is slender and not expanded at the tip.

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA). 2023. Rules for Testing Seeds, Vol. 3: Uniform Classification of Weed and Crop Seeds. Association of Official Seed Analysts, Wichita, KS, USA.

    Barkworth, M. E., Capels, K. M., Long, S., and Piep, M. B. (Eds.). 2007. Flora of North America Volume 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York, New York.

    Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

    DiTomaso, J. M. and Healy, E. A. 2007. Weeds of California and Other Western States. Vol. 2: Geraniaceae – Zygophyllaceae. Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 3488. University of California, Oakland, CA.

    Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT). 2003. Cynosurus echinatus Hedgehog Dogtail. Invasive Species in Garry Oak and Associated Ecosystems in British Columbia. Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team, Victoria, BC.

    Heap, I. 2023. The International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database. http://ww.weedscience.com/Pages/Case.aspx?ResistID=5421 Accessed December 28, 2023.

    Hitchcock, A. S., and Chase, A. 1951. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for seed size measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide.

    Lancaster, M., Jubb, T., and Pascoe, I. 2006. Short Contribution – Lack of toxicity of rough dog’s tailgrass (Cynosurus echinatus) and the fungus Drechslera biseptata for cattle. Australian Veterinary Journal, 84: 98-100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2006.tb12238.

    Martin, A. C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36(3):513-660.

    Musil, A. F.  1963.  Identification of Crop and Weed Seeds.  Agriculture Handbook No. 219.  U. S. Department of Agriculture.  Washington, D.C.

    Nesbitt, M. 2006. Identification Guide for Near Eastern Grass Seeds. Institute of Archaeology, University College London, Gordon Square, London.

    Read, E., Edwards, J., Deseo, M., Rawlin, G., and Rochfort, S. 2017. Current Understanding of Acute Bovine Liver Disease in Australia. Toxins 9(1):8. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins9010008.

    Sharp, D. and Simon, B.K. 2002, AusGrass: Grasses of Australia. CD-ROM, Version 1.0 (Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra, and Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland). Available online: https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/AusGrass/key/AusGrass/Media/Html/Cynosuru/CYNECH.HTML Accessed December 28, 2023.

    Terrell, E. E. 1971. Survey of occurrences of liquid or soft endosperm in grass genera. Bull. Torr. Botan. Club 98(5):264-268.

    Tutin, T. G., Haywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Waters, S. M., Webb, D. A. (Eds.). 1980. Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledons). Cambridge University Press.

    United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2023. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12881. Accessed December 27, 2023.

    United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). 2023. The PLANTS Database. http://plants.usda.gov Accessed December 19, 2023.

    Verloove F. 2023. Cynosurus echinatus. On: Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium. Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium. https://alienplantsbelgium.myspecies.info/content/cynosurus-echinatus Accessed December 28, 2023.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Deborah J. Lionakis Meyer, California Department of Food and Agriculture (retired) and Krishan Shah, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

    Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank reviewers Jennifer Neudorf and Angela Salzl for their suggestions for fact sheet improvement.

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

    © 2024 ISMA - International Seed Morphology Association