CYNODON DACTYLON LIN

Common name: Bermuda Grass • Assamese: Dubari • Bengali: দুর্বা Durba • Hindi: दूब Doob, Dobri •Kannada: garikehullu, balli garike, ambate hullu • Manipuri: তিঙথৌ Tingthou • Marathi: haryali, dhurva •Mizo: phaitualhnim • Oriya: dubbo ghas • Sanskrit: Niladurva, saddala, ananta • Tamil: Arugampillu, Arukampillu, muyalpul • Telugu: Ghericha, gerichagaddi • Urdu: Doob

Botanical name: Cynodon dactylon   

Family: Poaceae (Grass family)

Introduction: Bermuda Grass is a grass native to north Africa, Asia and Australia and southern Europe. The name "Bermuda Grass" derives from its abundance as an invasive species on Bermuda; it does not occur naturally there. The blades are a grey-green colour and are short, usually 4-15 cm long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1-30 cm, rarely to 3 ft, tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in color. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of 3–7 spikes (rarely two) together at the top of the stem, each spike 3–6 cm long. It has a deep root system. In drought situations with penetrable soil, the root system can grow to over 2 m deep, though most of the root mass is less than 60 cm under the surface. The grass creeps along the ground and root wherever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat. Bermuda Grass reproduces through seeds, through runners and rhizomes.

Geographical distribution

The grass occurs throughout India in field and gardens.

Chemical composition

The grass contains -sitosterol, carotene, vitamin-C, palmitic acid, triterpenoids, alkaloids-ergonovine, erogonovivine, ferulic, syringic, vanillin, pcaumaric acid, furfural, alcohol, glucose and fructose.

Therapeutic uses

The grass is diuretic, astringent and styptic; it is used in dropsy, hysteria, epilepsy and insanity. Infusion of root is useful in stopping the bleeding from piles and in secondary syphilis. The juice of the plant is astringent, used as application to fresh cuts and wounds.

Folk medicinal uses

Equal quantities of fresh roots of doob and kans (Saccharum spontaneum Linn.) are ground and made into a paste. About 5 gm. of this paste is given with cow milk and sugar early in the morning for one month, to cure leucorrhoea. Two gm. of the roots with curds are given in chronic gleet. An infusion of the grass with milk is given in piles.

Preparations

Durvadi-kwath, durvadi-ghrita and durvadi-taila.

Flowers : August-September