Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.

First published in Fl. Carniol., ed. 2, 1: 52 (1771)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Medit. to Central Asia and Malesia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
A loosely caespitose or solitary growing annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 20–60 cm., decumbent or creeping at the base, glabrous, nodes dark and glabrous.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths smooth to scaberulous.
Morphology Leaves Ligules
Ligule 1–2 mm. long, truncate, erose.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 3–12 × 0.1–0.5 cm., linear, flat, scaberulous on both surfaces, with a few bulbous based bristles on the superior surface, near the base, scaberulous along the margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of (2)4–8 racemes, (3)6–12 cm. long, erect, (2)3–4(5) in a inferior whorl, sometimes a second, superior whorl of 2–3 racemes.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rhachis triquetrous, broadly winged, up to 0.7 mm. wide, smooth to scaberulous with scabrous margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 2-nate, 0.3–3 mm. long, triangular, scabrous, scarcely widened at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets (1.8)2.1–2.8 mm. long, ovate-oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Superior glume 1/3–2/3 of the spikelet, ovate to oblong triangular, 3-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs fine, smooth, acute. Inferior glume short, triangular, sometimes truncate or even slightly bifid.
Inferior
Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, ovate-oblong, 7-nerved, nerves scabrous, especially the subcentral and submarginal nerves, central zone often broad, appressed hairy. Inferior glume short, triangular, sometimes truncate or even slightly bifid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma as long as to somewhat shorter than the spikelet, oblong-lanceolate, slightly acuminate, pale yellow to pale brown, sometimes purplish tinged. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, ovate-oblong, 7-nerved, nerves scabrous, especially the subcentral and submarginal nerves, central zone often broad, appressed hairy.
Superior
Superior lemma as long as to somewhat shorter than the spikelet, oblong-lanceolate, slightly acuminate, pale yellow to pale brown, sometimes purplish tinged. Superior glume 1/3–2/3 of the spikelet, ovate to oblong triangular, 3-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs fine, smooth, acute.
[FZ]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Annual; culms 20–60 cm. high or sometimes more, decumbent at the base, geniculately ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades broadly linear to narrowly lanceolate, 3–30 cm. long, 3–17 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence digitate or subdigitate (rarely with an axis up to 5 cm. long in robust specimens), of 2–16 racemes; racemes stiff, 3–20 cm. long, the spikelets binate and overlapping by about 2/3 of their length on a winged rhachis with triquetrous midrib.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 2.3–3.5 mm. long, acute; lower glume a little ovate scale 0.2 mm. long; upper glume 1/3–1/2 as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, the nerves evenly spaced (or occasionally with a wide interspace flanking the midrib) and scaberulous, obscurely and appressedly pubescent, rarely with brownish glassy bristles, very rarely with a ciliate frill; fruit lanceolate, grey or light brown, as long as the lower lemma or almost so.
Habitat
An introduced weed; 1600 m.
Distribution
T4 warm temperate regions throughout the world
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 10-30 cm long; 3-8 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous, or bearded. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long. Leaf-blades 3-10 cm long; 3-8 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-10; digitate; unilateral; 4-18 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5-3.3 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5-3.3 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.3-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with equidistant veins; scabrous; rough on veins; puberulous; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5-3.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
Reference
Paniceae. CEH.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean. Elevation range: 0–2500 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Caquetá, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Nariño, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
azulita, cebadilla, gramilla, gramilla zacate, guadín, guardarrocío, guardasereno, hierba de conejo, paja colchón, pasto chato, pasto de cuaresma, pata de gallina, pata de gallo, pategallina
[UNAL]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Crab finger grass, Crab grass, Crop grass, Land grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0