Definition

Noun 1. A type of creeping grass with finger-like spikes: "Crowfoot grass" is the common name for a low-growing, spreading grass (scientifically often classified within the genus Dactyloctenium or Eleusine). It is characterized by its seed heads, which resemble a bird's foot or spread-out fingers.

Usage and Examples

• General Use: The term is used to identify this specific type of grass, often in agricultural, botanical, or gardening contexts.
  • Crowfoot grass can quickly invade lawns and garden beds.
  • The field was covered in patches of crowfoot grass.
• Descriptive Use: The name is descriptive of the plant's appearance.
  • You can identify it by its distinctive, finger-like seed spikes, which give crowfoot grass its name.

Advanced Usage

• As a common name: "Crowfoot grass" is a vernacular name. Its precise botanical species can vary by region. It is often considered a weed in cultivated areas.

Variants and Related Words

• Egyptian grass: Another common name for the same or a very similar species.
• Crabgrass ( spp.): A different but sometimes confused genus of weedy grasses.
• Goosegrass (): A closely related species, also sometimes called crowfoot grass.

Synonyms

• Egyptian crowfoot grass
• Coast button grass (for some species)

Notes

• The name is a compound noun: "crowfoot" (resembling a crow's foot) + "grass". It refers specifically to the visual shape of the flowering head.
• It is important to distinguish it from other plants with "crowfoot" in their name, such as certain buttercups ( spp.), which are not grasses.

Noun

1. a creeping grass with spikes like fingers