Crowfootgrass

Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Alternate names
Egypt grass

Weed Description
An annual grass that bends and roots at the lower nodes, with tips that may rise to about 2 feet in height. Found throughout the southern states, northward to Maine, west to Illinois and southern California.

Seedlings
Leaf blades and sheaths are without hair. Leaf margins have long, stiff hairs. Ligule fringed, membranous.

Leaves
Blades are 2-30 cm long, 2-9 mm wide, without hairs or less often having long, stiff hairs. Leaf margins have hairs that point outward. The ligule is membranous to 1.0 mm long and fringed with hairs (0.8 mm long). Sheaths are without hairs.

Stems
Bending and rooting at the lower nodes, with tips ascending to 70 cm tall.

Flowers
1-7 spikes (1.0-6.2 cm long, 3-7 mm wide) at tip of stem. Seed head resembles a crows foot.

Roots
Fibrous.

Identifying Characteristics
Entire plant is most often found without hair, except for the hairs that extend outward from the margins and those found on the ligule. Seed head resembles a crows foot.

Trouble identifying a weed?

For additional assistance identifying weeds, contact Dr. Kevin Braldly, State Extension Weed Scientist (bradleyke@missouri.edu).

Office of Programs

University of Missouri

Crowfootgrass

Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Trouble identifying a weed?