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Digitaria ciliaris

(Fingergrass)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Chinese:

Heng Li Ma Tang (As D Henryi), Sheng Ma Tang (As D Adscendens)

Common Names in English:

Fingergrass, Crabgrass, Henry's Crabgrass, Kukaepua'a, Saulangi, Smooth Crabgrass, Southern Crab Grass, Southern Crabgrass, Summer Grass, Tropical Crabgrass, Tropical Finger Grass

Common Names in Finnish:

Riisiverihirssi

Common Names in French:

Digitaire Ciliée

Common Names in German:

Wimperfingerhirse

Common Names in Hawaiian:

Kukaepua'a

Common Names in Hindi:

Takri

Common Names in Japanese:

Me Hishiba

Common Names in Portuguese:

Capim-Milhã, Milhã

Common Names in Spanish:

Pata De Gallina

Description

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Genus Digitaria

Annual or perennial . Culms erect or decumbent , occasionally stoloniferous . Leaf blades linear or linear-lanceolate; ligule membranous. Inflorescence of digitately arranged racemes , sometimes on a short axis or with secondary branchlets , very rarely paniculate ; spikelets usually in groups of 2-3(-4), imbricate to effuse, the latter often on notably long and unequal pedicels. Spikelets puberulous to villous , typically in stripes between the well-defined veins, rarely glabrous ; lower glume absent or reduced to a little scale up to 1/4 spikelet length; upper glume variable; lower lemma usually ± equal to spikelet; upper floret pallid to black, apex subacute to acuminate, rarely apiculate . x = 9.

About 250 species:tropical and warm-temperate regions of the world; 22 species (three endemic) in China.

Digitaria has been traditionally divided on the nature of the spikelet hairs, which may be clavate , capitate, verrucose (warty, appearing beaded), or with crooked tips . As good magnification is required to see these features, the grouping of the spikelets on the raceme is a more practical aid to identification. Many species have regularly paired spikelets, which present no difficulty. In those species where the spikelets are grouped in clusters of 3 or more, care must be taken, as often the longest pedicel of a group is partially fused to the rachis so that the spikelets appear alternately paired and single, or sometimes one spikelet may be vestigial, or the spikelets may be paired toward the raceme tips.

Many species are very variable in spikelet pubescence and lemma nervation, even within a single raceme. Additionally, there are a number of complexes of intergrading species, so intermediates may occasionally be encountered. This has led to the publication of many superfluous names .[1]

Physical Description

Species Digitaria ciliaris

Annual . Culms decumbent at base , branching and rooting at lower nodes, 30-100 cm tall. Leaf sheaths ± pilose ; leaf blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 5-20 × 0.3-1 cm, adaxial surface usually pilose, margins thickened and scabrous ; ligule 1-2 mm. Inflorescence digitate or subdigitate, axis short; racemes 3-10, 5-17 cm; spikelets paired , imbricate by about 2/3 their length ; rachis winged , ca. 1 mm broad, midrib triquetrous , margins scabrous. Spikelets lanceolate, 2.5-3.5 mm, acute; lower glume very small, triangular; upper glume lanceolate, 2/3-4/5 as long as spikelet, 3-veined, pilose; lower lemma as long as spikelet, 7-veined, veins evenly spaced or a broader glabrous interspace flanking the midvein , lateral interveins appressed pubescent to ciliate or villous , sometimes with a halo-like fringe , sometimes setose ; upper lemma yellowish green, gray or pale brown, elliptic , as long as lower lemma, apex acuminate. Fl. and fr. May-Oct. 2n = 36, 54, 72. [source]

Digitaria ciliaris is a pantropical , weedy annual very variable in spikelet pubescence and nervation . It lies at the center of a complex of similar and somewhat intergrading, weedy species including D. bi-cornis, D. cruciata, D. henryi, D. radicosa, D. sanguinalis, and D. seti-gera. Occasionally intermediate specimens will be encountered that are difficult to place. [source]

Most species in this complex include forms with or without stiff, glassy bristles near the margins of the lower lemma. These lie flat along the lemma when young, coloring yellow and spreading as a conspicuous pectinate fringe at maturity. The pectinate form of Digitaria ciliaris is sometimes distinguished at varietal rank. [source]

Habit: Graminoid • Growth Form: Stoloniferous • Shape and Orientation: Decumbent

Flowers: Bloom Period: Late Summer • Flower Color: Yellow • Flower Conspicuous: No

Seeds: Seed per Pound: 800000 • Seed Spread Rate: Rapid • Seedling Vigor: Low • Fruit/Seed Abundance: High • Fruit/Seed Color: Brown • Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: No • Cold Stratification Required: No

Foliage: Foliage Color: Green • Foliage Porosity Summer: Porous • Foliage Porosity Winter: Porous • Foliage Texture: Fine • Fall Conspicuous: No • Leaf Retention: No

Size/Age/Growth

Active Growth Period: Summer and Fall • Growth Rate: Rapid • After Harvest Regrowth Rate: Moderate • Mature Height (feet): 0.9 • Size: under 6" tall. • Vegetative Spread Rate: Rapid • Lifespan: Lifespan

Habitat

Roadsides, weedy places.[2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,028 meters (0 to 13,215 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Annual • Coppice Potential: No • Progagated by Bulbs: No • Propagated by Bare Root: No • Propagated by Container: No • Propagated by Corms: No • Propagated by Cuttings: No • Propagated by Seed: Yes • Propagated by Sod: No • Propagated by Sprigs: No • Propagated by Tubers: No • Fruit/Seed Period Begin: Fall • Fruit/Seed Period End: Fall • Fruit/Seed Persistence: No

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Soil: Adapted to Medium Textured: Adapted to Medium Textured Soils • Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils: Yes • Anaerobic Tolerance: Low • Salinity Tolerance: None • CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium • Minimum pH: 5.0 • Maximum pH: 7.0 • Fertility Requirement: Medium

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun . • Shade Tolerance: Intolerant

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: Low • Minimum Precipitation: 35 • Maximum Precipitation: 50 • Moisture Use: Medium

Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): 2 • Minimum Frost Free Days: 190

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henr. • Digitaria sanguinalis var. ciliaris (Retz.) Parl. • Digitaria sanguinalis var. marginata (Link) Fern. • Digitaria sanguinalis var. rhachiseta (Henr.) Boivin • Panicum adscendens Kunth • Panicum ciliare Retz. • Syntherisma marginata (Link) Nash

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Digitaria

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 53 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

D. abyssinica (African Couchgrass) · D. arenicola (Fall Witchgrass) · D. argillacea (Tropical Crabgrass) · D. bicornis (Asia Crabgrass) · D. californica (Arizona Cottontop) · D. ciliaris (Fingergrass) · D. cognata (Carolina Cottontop) · D. cognata var. cognata (Carolina Crabgrass) · D. cognata var. pubiflora (Carolina Crabgrass) · D. cruciata (Crabgrass) · D. diagonalis (Brown-Seeded Finger Grass) · D. didactyla (Crabgrass) · D. dolichophylla (Caribbean Crabgrass) · D. eggersii (Eggers' Crabgrass) · D. eriantha (Pangola Grass) · D. eriantha subsp. eriantha (Crabgrass) · D. eriantha subsp. pentzii (Woolly Fingergrass) · D. exilis (Fonio) · D. filiformis (Slender Crabgrass) · D. floridana (Florida Crabgrass) · D. fuscescens (Yellow Crabgrass) · D. gracillima (Long-Leaf Crabgrass) · D. henryi (Henry´s Crabgrass) · D. hitchcockii (Short-Leaf Crabgrass) · D. horizontalis (Jamaica Crabgrass) · D. iburua (Black Fonio) · D. insularis (Sourgrass) · D. ischaemum (Small Crabgrass) · D. ischaemum var. ischaemum (Small Crabgrass) · D. longiflora (India Crabgrass) · D. milanjiana (Madagascar Crabgrass) · D. natalensis (Natal Crabgrass) · D. nuda (Naked Crabgrass) · D. panicea (Millet Crabgrass) · D. patens (Texas Cottontop) · D. pauciflora (Florida Pineland Crabgrass) · D. pubiflora (Carolina Crabgrass) · D. radicosa (Trailing Crabgrass) · D. sanguinalis (Crabgrass) · D. seriata (Crabgrass) · D. serotina (Blanket Crabgrass) · D. setigera (East Indian Crabgrass) · D. setivalva (Crabgrass) · D. similis (Roadside Crabgrass) · D. simpsonii (Isle-Of-Pines Crabgrass) · D. swalleniana (Swallen's Crabgrass) · D. ternata (Black-Seeded Crabgrass) · D. texana (Texas Crabgrass) · D. tomentosa (Woolly Crabgrass) · D. umfolozi (Crabgrass) · D. velutina (Annual Couchgrass) · D. villosa (Shaggy Crabgrass) · D. violascens (Violet Crabgrass)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 13, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Shou-liang Chen & Sylvia M. Phillips "Digitaria". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 1, 500, 539. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Digitaria ciliaris". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 540, 542, 543, 544. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 414.810 meters (1,360.925 feet), Standard Deviation = 645.530 based on 572 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012