Doob / Dhub Grass
Cynodon dactylon
Also known as Bermuda Grass, Bahama Grass, Conch Grasss, Dog's Grass, Hariali Grass
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Cynodon dactylon
- Genus
- Cynodon
- Family
- Poaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Distribution
- Tropical and warm Temperate regions throughout the world
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf surface
- HirsuterecordedCovered in coarse, stiff, bristly hairs.“The blades are grey-green in color and short, usually 2–15 cm (0.79–5.91 in) long with rough edges.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Doob itself; the rest are typical of the Poaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Fruit surface
- Smooth, not spinyrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Grain
Characters marked “recorded” are for Doob itself; the rest are typical of the Poaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- दूब Doob, Dobri,दूब घास duba ghas
- Nepali
- दुबो Dubo, दूबो
- Bengali
- দুর্বা Durba, দূর্বা
- Tamil
- Arugampillu, Arukampillu, muyalpul
- Telugu
- Ghericha, gerichagaddi
- Kannada
- ಗಱಿಕೆ, ಗರಿಕೆ Garike, ಗಱಿಕೆಹುಲ್ಲು ಗರಿಕೆಹುಲ್ಲು Garikehullu
- Malayalam
- കറുക, Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon
- Marathi
- haryali, dhurva, दूर्वा
Doob in India
Doob is the tough creeping grass of Indian lawns, fields and riverbanks, and a sacred plant too — दूब Doob (Hindi), Arugampillu (Tamil), Ghericha (Telugu), ಗಱಿಕೆ (Kannada), കറുക (Malayalam), haryali (Marathi). Cynodon dactylon is recorded across Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and durva is essential in Ganesha worship.
Uses
Durva grass is a key ritual offering, especially to Lord Ganesha, tied in small bunches. It is a hardy lawn and pasture grass and a soil binder against erosion, and the plant has attributed uses in Ayurveda (described for information, not advice).
How to Identify Doob
A low, wiry, fast-spreading grass that creeps by runners (stolons) rooting at every node to form dense mats. Its flower heads are distinctive: a few slender finger-like spikes radiating from one point at the top of the stalk.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Dhub grass called in different Indian languages?
- दूब Doob (Hindi); Arugampillu (Tamil); Ghericha (Telugu); ಗಱಿಕೆ (Kannada); കറുക (Malayalam); haryali (Marathi); দুর্বা Durba (Bengali).
- Why is durva grass offered to Ganesha?
- Durva (doob) is considered especially dear to Lord Ganesha and is offered in bunches during his worship across India.
- How do you identify doob grass?
- It is a low creeping grass that spreads by runners and has flower spikes arranged like a few fingers radiating from a single point.
Poaceae
Grass family
Doob belongs to the Poaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Poaceae
View all Poaceae →Sources: GBIF — Cynodon dactylon (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · iNaturalist — Cynodon dactylon (regional names, India observations) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Cynodon dactylon (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)