(C.Presl) Henr., Poaceae |
Present on Pacific Islands? yes
Primarily a threat at high elevations? no
Other Latin names: Paspalum fuscescens J. Presl
Common name(s): [more details]
English: Y grass, yellow crab grass |
Hawaiian: creeping kūkaepuaa |
Habit: grass
Description: "Annuals; culms ascending from a creeping base, 4-30 cm tall. Sheaths glabrous, rarely with scattered hairs; ligule 0.5-2 mm long, truncate, erose; blades 1-5 cm long, 1-4 mm wide. Inflorescence composed of 2 (3) digitate racemes, the racemes 1-7 cm long; spikelets ternate on a ribbon-like winged rachis, narrowly ovate-elliptic, 1.2-1.6 mm long; first glume a minute hyaline rim or absent, second glume as long as the spikelet, (3) 5-nerved, glabrous; first lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, glabrous; second lemma yellowish to brownish, as long as the spikelet, apex often bluish at anthesis, acuminate; palea enclosed within lemma, and similar in texture and color to it. Caryopsis ellipsoid, pale brown" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1531).
Description from GrassBase.
Habitat/ecology: "Pioneer of sandy or rocky soils in humid areas; forests, dunes, cultivated areas, disturbed sites, roadsides. 0-970 m altitude. Weed of perennial crops, rice, vegetables and disturbed areas." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 65-66). In Hawaii, "forming mats in disturbed sites in grasslands, mesic shrubland and mesic forest, 10-520 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1531). In Fiji, "now widespread from sea level to 970 m. It is a weed of cultivation, found along roadsides, in waste places, on open hillsides, and on sandy flats above beaches; it also occurs in dry forest, forming mats in open places, and it has become naturalized along forest trails" (Smith, 1979; pp. 323-324). "Uncommon in dry sunny areas" (Whistler, 1988; p. 50).
Propagation: "Seeds dispersed by water and birds. Vegetative propagation from stolon fragments." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 65-66).
Native range: India, southeastern Asia and Indonesia (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1531). Fosberg et al. (1987; p. 37) list as native.
Presence:
Pacific | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands |
Atiu Island | McCormack, Gerald (2013) | |
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands |
Weno (Moen) Island |
native
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 37) |
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands |
Pohnpei Island |
native
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 37) |
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands |
Pohnpei Island |
native
|
Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 56) |
Federated States of Micronesia
Yap Islands |
Yap (Waqab) Island |
native
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 37) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Kandavu Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324)
Voucher cited: DA 9073 |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Koro Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Mango Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Matuku Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Mbatiki Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Moala Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Moturiki Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Ngau Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Ovalau Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324)
Voucher cited: DA 1362 |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Totoya Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Vanua Levu Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324)
Vouchers cited: DA L.15609, DA 8791, DA 11771 |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Vanua Mbalavu Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324) |
Fiji
Fiji Islands |
Viti Levu Island |
introduced
invasive |
Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 323-324)
Vouchers cited: DA 8238, DA 8192, Smith 9615, Smith 9601, DA 7883, DA 7926, DA 3582, DA 3963, DA 2404 |
French Polynesia
Society Islands |
Raiatea (Havai) Island |
introduced
invasive |
Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 334) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Hawaii (Big) Island |
introduced
invasive |
Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1531)
Voucher cited: Hitchcock 14186 (BISH) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Kauai Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Lānai Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Maui Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Molokai Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Niihau Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands |
Oahu Island |
introduced
|
Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 121) |
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group) |
Babeldaob Island |
native
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 37) |
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group) |
Babeldaob Island |
Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1982) (voucher ID: BNM 3179)
Taxon name on voucher: Digitaria fuscescens (Presl.) Henr. |
|
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group) |
Koror (Oreor) Island |
native
|
Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 37) |
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group) |
Koror (Oreor) Island |
native
|
Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 97) |
Philippines
Philippine Islands |
Philippine Islands |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Samoa
Western Samoa Islands |
Western Samoa Islands | Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 50) | |
Tonga
Tonga Islands |
Tonga Islands | Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 50) | |
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands |
Vanuatu (Republic of) | Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 91) | |
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands |
Wallis and Futuna Islands | Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 50) |
Pacific Rim | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
Cambodia
Cambodia |
Cambodia (Kingdom of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
China
China |
China (People's Republic of) | Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 44) | |
Indonesia
Indonesia |
Indonesia (Republic of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Malaysia
Malaysia |
Malaysia (country of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Singapore
Singapore |
Singapore (Republic of) | Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 65) | |
Singapore
Singapore |
Singapore (Republic of) |
native
|
Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 34)
Common |
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim) |
Colombia |
introduced
invasive |
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized |
South America (Pacific rim)
South America (Pacific rim) |
Perú (Republic of) |
introduced
invasive |
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized |
Thailand
Thailand |
Thailand (Kingdom of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Vietnam
Vietnam |
Vietnam (Socialist Republic of) |
native
|
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) |
Indian Ocean | |||
Country/Terr./St. & Island group |
Location |
Cited status &
Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction? |
Reference &
Comments |
British Indian Ocean Territory
Chagos Archipelago |
Diego Garcia Island |
introduced
invasive |
Whistler, W. Arthur (1996) (p. 24) |
Control: If you know of control methods for Digitaria fuscescens, please let us know.