About Cynosurus cristatus L.
Cynosurus cristatus L. is a perennial grass with a slightly tufted growth habit and a slender stem that grows 15 to 45 cm high. It is leafy at the base, which makes it suitable for grazing by sheep. Fertile and sterile spikelets grow mixed together in the same cluster. These spikelets are oblong or wedge-shaped, 3–6 mm long, and contain 2 to 5 flowers each. This grass has a blunt ligule, and its leaves are folded in the shoot. Leaves are pointed at the tip and flat, not boat-shaped. The lower side of the leaf is smooth, glossy and keeled, while the upper side is ribbed. Other grasses with glossy leaves include Lolium perenne and Poa trivialis. This species is found across most of Europe and Southwest Asia, and has been introduced to North America, Australia and New Zealand. It grows from near sea level up to about 2000 feet, and grows in all soil types. Because it is leafy at the base, it is grazed by sheep. It can tolerate cold and drought, and remains green throughout the winter. Cattle and sheep eagerly eat its young leaves, but leave the stiff, hard stems uneaten. It has been used for straw plaiting for hats and other similar items. It is a food plant for the skipper butterfly and brown butterfly families. It is also used as a rat killer.
