Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Bontoc: pagpagai

Chinese: ma tang

English: crab finger grass, hairy crabgrass, hairy fingergrass, large crabgrass, summer grass

French: digitaire sanguine, manne terrestre, panic sanguin, sanguinette

Iloko: saka-saka

Japanese: inubie, mehishiba, mehishiba

Spanish: conejo, frente de toro, fresadilla, garrachuelo, gaudín, guardarrocio, manga larga, pasto cangrijo, pasto colchón, pasto cuaresma, pata de gallina, pata de gallo, pata de paloma

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annual with weak, spreading culms mostly 30-100 mm long, these often decumbent at base and rooting at the lower nodes, the erect culm or branch tips seldom more than about 60 cm tall.  Sheaths typically pubescent with papilla-based hairs.  Ligules membranous, glabrous, irregularly dissected, mostly 1.0-2.5 mm long.  Blades soft, flat, 5-10 mm broad, pubescent on one or both surfaces to nearly glabrous.  Inflorescence usually with 4-9 erect or spreading , unbranched, racemose branches, these digitate at the culm apex or at the apex and in the 1-2 irregular verticils below.  Spikelets in pairs of one sessile and one pediceled, usually 2.7-3.0 mm long but occasionally longer.  First glume a minute, triangular scale or absent.   Lower lemma of both sessile and pediceled spikelets with 5 unequally spaced nerves, the lateral crowded to the margins, the midnerve with a wide space on either side.  Spikelets green or purple-tinged" (Howard, 1979; p. 105).

"Annual; decumbent, spreading; culms geniculate, usually rooting at the lower nodes, ascending, to 1 m long or more; sheaths shorter than internodes, pubescent; ligule a thin truncate membrane 1-2 mm long; racemes digitate or with a second or third node below the apex; rachis narrowly winged, c. 1 mm wide; spikelets 3 mm long, first glume small; second glume 3/4 as long as fruit; sterile lemma slightly longer; usually villous" (Stone, 1970; p. 208).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Frequent in disturbed soils of gardens and ditches; usually growing as a weed of moist, disturbed sites" (Howard, 1979; p. 105).

"In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0 - 500 m.  Dry, arid areas, with long drought periods of 6-10 months, precipitations of 100 mm-300 mm. are concentrated in winter; somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa, Europe, Asia; widely naturalized elsewhere, including North America (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced	Pickard, J. (1984) (p. 205)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "A weed of cultivated and wasteland, as it is throughout the warm temperate regions of the world". Voucher cited: L.M. Bingley 34 (K)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 553)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 40800) Taxon name on voucher: Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 542) "Almost cosmopolitan and weedy".
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. (1996) (p. 452)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 54-55)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 57)
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 57)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 332) Along roadside.
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 128)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 128)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 95)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Negara Brunei Darussalam Brunei	Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 542) "Cultivated ground (gardens, lawns, street berms), waste land. Almost cosmopolitan and weedy".
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. plate)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (pp. 95-97)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. plate)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 95)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 65, 77)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Maldives Maldive Islands	Maldive Islands		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 11)

Additional information:
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Digitaria sanguinalis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Digitaria sanguinalis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Digitaria sanguinalis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Edgar, E./Connor, H. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, vol. V: Gramineae. Manaaki Whenua Press. .

Exell, A.W. et al., eds. 1979. Flora Zambesiaca 10(3).

Fosberg, F. R. 1957. The Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 58. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 37 pp.

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 142 pp. + plates.

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 2. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 137 pp. + plates.

Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. 1977. The world’s worst weeds: distribution and biology. East-West Center/University Press of Hawaii. 609 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Howard, Richard A. 1979. Flora of the Lesser Antilles: Leeward and Windward Islands. Vol. 3, Monocotyledoneae. Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 586 pp.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 1 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 463 pp.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG40800(Tim Flynn 7008).

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Pickard, J. 1984. Exotic plants on Lord Howe Island: Distribution in space and time, 1853-1981. J. of Biogeography 11:181-208.

Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. 1996. New records and other information on the vascular flora of the Kermadec Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34:447-462.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, D. F. 1993. The major arthropod pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast Asia. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 141 pp.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).