Poaceae
Egyptian grass
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
- Family
- Poaceae
- Genus
- Dactyloctenium
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Common names
By language (14)
- Afrikaans
- Hoenderspoor, Gewone hoenderspoorgras, Hoenderspoorgras, Natalkweek
- Bambara
- Nigiri
- Chinese
- 龍爪茅, 龙爪茅, 紫金龙
- Czech
- Hřebenatka egyptská
- English
- Egyptian grass, Durban crowfoot grass, Coast buttongrass, Coast duck grass, Coast grass, Common crowfoot, Crowfoot grass, Duck grass
- French
- Chiendent patte-de-poule, Dactylocténion d'Égypte
- grc
- Καλαμάγρωστις
- Hindi
- मकरा
- Japanese
- タツノツメガヤ
- Persian
- علف پنجهای مصری
- Russian
- Дактилоктениум египетский, Египетская трава
- Swahili
- Kimbugimbugi
- Swedish
- Knapphirs
- Thai
- หญ้าปากควาย
Synonyms
- Aegilops saccharina Walter
- Cenchrus aegyptius P.Beauv.
- Cenchrus mucronatus Pers. ex Steud.
- Chloris guineensis Schumach.
- Chloris mucronata Michx.
- Chloris prostrata (Willd.) Poir. ex Roem. & Schult.
- Ctenium nukaviense Steud.
- Cynosurus aegyptiacus Link
- Cynosurus aegyptius L.
- Cynosurus carolinianus Willd. ex Steud.
- Cynosurus cavara Dillwyn
- Cynosurus ciliaris Rottler ex Hook.f.
- Cynosurus distachyos Rottler ex Steud.
- Cynosurus macara Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
- Dactyloctenium aegyptiacum (L.) Willd.
- Dactyloctenium aegyptium f. viviparum Beetle
- Dactyloctenium aegyptium var. mucronatum (Michx.) Schweinf.
- Dactyloctenium aegyptius var. mucronatum (Michx.) Lanza & Mattei
- Dactyloctenium ciliare Chiov.
- Dactyloctenium distachyum Trin.
- Dactyloctenium figarei De Not.
- Dactyloctenium meridionale Ham.
- Dactyloctenium mpuetense De Wild.
- Dactyloctenium mucronatum (Michx.) Willd.
- Dactyloctenium mucronatum var. erectum E.Fourn.
- Dactyloctenium prostratum Willd.
- Eleusine aegyptia (L.) Roxb.
- Eleusine aegyptia (L.) Forsyth f.
- Eleusine aegyptiaca Desf.
- Eleusine ciliata Raf.
- Eleusine cruciata Lam.
- Eleusine cruciata Elliott
- Eleusine egyptia Raf.
- Eleusine pectinata Moench
- Eleusine prostrata Spreng.
- Rabdochloa mucronata P.Beauv.
- Syntherisma aegyptiaca Schult. ex Steud.
- Syntherisma aegyptiacum Schult. ex Steud.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Graminoid
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced
Photos

Photo: Atamari, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Vengolis, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Vengolis, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Gihan Jayaweera, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: James, T, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: James, T, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: James, T, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: James, T, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: James, T, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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- Dactyloctenium geminatumPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium giganteumPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium buchananensisPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium capitatumPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium ctenoidesPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium robecchiiPoaceae
- Dactyloctenium pilosumPoaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.