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Digitaria sanguinalis

(Crabgrass)

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:

Ma Tang

Common Names in Czech:

Rosička Krvavá

Common Names in Danish:

Blodhirse

Common Names in Dutch:

Bloedgierst, Harig Vingergras, Harig Vingergras;bloedgierst

Common Names in English:

Crabgrass, Common Crabgrass, Crab Finger Grass, Hairy Crab Grass, Hairy Crabgrass, Hairy Fingergrass, Large Crabgrass, Purple Crabgrass, Redhair Crabgrass

Common Names in Estonian:

Verev Paelhirss

Common Names in Finnish:

Verihirssi

Common Names in French:

Digitaire Sanguine, Manne Terrestre, Millet Sanguin, Panic Sanguin

Common Names in German:

Blut-Fingerhirse, Blutfennich, Bluthirse, Blutrot Fingerhirse

Common Names in Italian:

Sanguinale, Sanguinaria, Sanguinella, Sanguinella Comune

Common Names in Malay:

Rumput Jejari Berbulu

Common Names in Polish:

Palusznik Krwawy, Proso Krwawe

Common Names in Portuguese:

Milha Digitada

Common Names in Spanish:

Garrachuelo, Pasto De Cuaresma (Argentina), Pata De Gallina

Common Names in Swedish:

Blodhirs

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 sanguinalis

Annual . Culms erect or decumbent at base , 10-80 cm tall, glabrous or nodes bearded . Leaf sheaths glabrous or sparsely papillose-pilose; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 5-20 × 0.4-1.2 cm, glabrous or pilose , margins thickened, scabrous ; ligule 1-3 mm. Inflorescence digitate or subdigitate, axis 1-2 cm; racemes 4-12, stiff, 5-18 cm; spikelets paired , overlapping by about 2/3 their length ; rachis winged , midrib triquetrous , margins scabrous. Spikelets elliptic-lanceolate, 3-3.5 mm, acute; lower glume small, ca. 0.2 mm, triangular; upper glume lanceolate, 1/3-1/2 spikelet length, 3-veined, pubescent , subacute ; lower lemma as long as spikelet, 7-veined, veins evenly spaced or a broader interspace flanking the midvein , midvein smooth, lateral veins setiform-scabrous especially toward the apex, appressed-pubescent on lateral intervein spaces and margins, rarely also setose ; upper lemma greenish gray or light brown, lanceolate, as long as spikelet, apex acuminate. Anthers ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 28, 36. [source]

The scabrous veins of the lower lemma, although a small character requiring a good lens , are the best means of distinguishing this species from Digitaria ciliaris. [source]

Habit: Graminoid

Flowers: Flower Color: green

Size/Age/Growth

Size: under 6" tall.

Habitat

Fields , roadsides, weedy places[2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,783 meters (0 to 9,131 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Annual

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Dactylon sanguinale (L.) Vill. • Milium sanguinale (L.) Roxb. • Panicum sanguinale L. • Panicum sanguinale Linnaeus • Paspa-lum sanguinale (Linnaeus) Lamarck. • Paspalum sanguinale (L.) Lam. • Syntherisma sanguinalis (L.) Dulac

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 18, 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 sanguinalis". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 540, 542, 543. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 236.040 meters (774.409 feet), Standard Deviation = 314.090 based on 1,863 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012