Allergy Information

This is one of the more significant grass types in terms of allergy.

Genus Details

Bermuda grass is found in the warmer regions of the U.S. where it is typically used for lawn grass. It has fibrous roots and horizontal, underground stem-like structures which allows it to grows upright. Leaves are in two rows on the stem, which has a sheath and a blade. Bermuda grass flowers when it is only 1/2 inch high so it is a major grass contributor to pollinosis in the southern states. Bermuda grass sheds an abundant amount of pollen which becomes wind-borne. It is recommended to mow Bermuda grass later in the day because the pollen is actively shed earlier in the morning. Since the greek word, Cynodon, means dog and tooth, Dog's tooth grass was adoped for the common name.

Pollen Description

Pollen grains of grass are spheroidal to ovoidal with a thin exine. The surface of Cynodon grains is granular and the grains are 1-porate.

Cynodon pollen grains are typically 28-30 microns in diameter.

Genus Distribution

The shaded areas on the map indicates where the genus has been observed in the United States.

- Native, observed in a county 

- Introduced, observed in a county 

- Rarely observed