Derivation
Dactyloctenium Willd., Enum. Pl. 1029 (1809); from the Greek daktylos (finger) and ktenion (a little comb), alluding to the digitate inflorescences.

giganteum- Latin for very large. Culms tall compared with those of related species.

Published in
Ann. Natal Mus. 10: 53 (1941).

Habit
Annual, tufted. Stolons absent or present. Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent, (37–)70–160 cm tall, without nodal roots or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringed membrane, 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 11–45 cm long, 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glabrous or tuberculate-ciliate. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence digitate, with spicate branches. Spikes ascending, (1–)3–9(–12) cm long, 8–12 mm wide. Spikes unilateral, 3.5–11 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis, flattened, terminating in a barren bristle-like extension. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis, imbricate, regular, 2-rowed.

Spikelets
Spikelets pectinate, solitary. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 2–7 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, elliptic or oblong or ovate or orbicular, laterally compressed, 4–7 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, dissimilar. Lower glume lanceolate or elliptic, 1.5–2.2 mm long, equalling upper glume, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex acute, mucronate. Upper glume elliptic or oblong, 1.5–2.2 mm long, 50–60% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, midnerve smooth. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume apex truncate, awned. Upper glume awn subapical, 1.5–11 mm long.

Florets
Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma not gibbous, lanceolate in profile, 2.5–4 mm long, membranous, 3-nerved. Lemma midnerve scaberulous. Lemma lateral nerves obscure. Lemma apex acute or cuspidate, mucronate or 1-awned. Median (principal) awn 0.7–2 mm long overall, 0.3–2 mm long. Palea with flaps narrower than body, 100% of length of lemma, 2-nerved. Palea keels wingless. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Anthers 3, 1.3–2.5 mm long, yellow. Grain with free soft pericarp, obovoid, 0.7–1.1 mm long, rugose, truncate.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland: Leichhardt, Maranoa.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae

Notes
Introduced; collected from the wild at several localities in south central Qld; native to Africa.
Considered useful for providing ground cover and grazing on land going out of cultivation and as a mulch to assist establishment of desirable perennial species in drier areas.

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