Cynosurus cristatus
Cynosurus cristatus
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Cynosurus cristatus thrives in all temperate climates and is very resistant to cold[1] An easily grown plant, it prefers well-drained, nutrient rich soils, growing best in a loamy-clayey soil with a pH of around 5 - 7[2]. Heavily waterlogged or very light sandy soils are not suitable[2]. The roots penetrate to a considerable depth, making the plant very tolerant of drought, but it prefers growing in a more humid climate[3, 4]. On wet soils the plant produces tall growth, yielding plenty of herbage, especially if cut later in the season, but in dry place it remains low[3]. The plant is fairly tolerant to shade and therefore can be sown underneath annual crops[2].
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ in early to late spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cynosurus+cristatus>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]Grassland Species - Profiles — http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm ↩︎Terse information on over 650 species of plants that grow in grassland, including trees, shrubs and perennial plants as well as grasses. Gives a brief description of the plant, its range and habitat and some of its uses.
- [2]Site-Specific Grasses and Herbs - Seed production and use for restoration of mountain environments — Krautzer B.; Peratoner G.; Bozzo F. · Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Rome · 2004 · http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5576e/y5576e00.htm#Contents · ISBN 92-5-105188-7 ↩︎Information on 25 species of plants used for restoring mountain pastures. It can be downloaded from the internet.
- [3]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [4]Economic Products of India. Volume 1. — Watt. G. · Government of India: Calcutta. · 1883 ↩︎Although over 100 years old, it still contains a wealth of information on useful plants. Many of the botanical names have been changed since then, so you have to check for up to date names. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [5]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
- [6]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.