Cynosurus

Cynosurus is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the family Poaceae. It is the only genus of the subtribe Cynosurinae. It is native to Europe, western Asia, northern and southern Africa.

Description

They are annual or perennial plants. Ligule a membrane; blades linear, flattened. Inflorescence a condensed terminal panicle of paired dimorphic spikelets, 1 of each pair sterile and 1 bisexual. Conspicuous sterile spikelets, flabellate, with 2 glumes and several sterile lemmas, persistent, the rachilla not disarticulated. Bisexual spikelets mostly hidden by the sterile ones, laterally compressed, with (1-)2-5 florets; disarticulation above glumes and between florets; glumes 1-veined; lemmas short awned, with a conspicuous median rib and 4 inconspicuous lateral veins; paleas almost as long as lemmas, 2-keened; stamens 3; styles 2. Fruit a caryopsis, enclosed between the lemma and palea; linear thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Species Plantarum 1: 72–73. 1753. The type species is: Cynosurus cristatus L.

Etymology

Cynosurus: generic name derived from the Greek words κυνός kynos, "dog" and from ουρά oura, "tail", referring to the shape of the panicle.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 7, with somatic chromosome number of 2n = 14, diploid Relatively "small" chromosomes.

Some species

• Cynosurus ara Ham. ex Wall.
• Cynosurus balansae Coss. " Durieu
• Cynosurus callitrichus Barb.-Boiss. " Barbey
• Cynosurus capitatus Wulf ex Roem. & Schult.
• Cynosurus castagnei Jord. ex Martrin-Donos
• Cynosurus cavara Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn
• Cynosurus coloratus Lehm. ex Steud.
• Cynosurus cristatus L.
• Cynosurus echinatus L.
• Cynosurus elegans Desf.
• Cynosurus virgatus L. var. domingensis (Jacq.) Döll