SafePlants

Cotton Panic Grass (Digitaria brownii)

Digitaria brownii, commonly known as Cotton Panic Grass, is a native grass found in various regions.

Considerations for Pets

• This grass can be hairy and slightly swollen at the base, which might be of interest to pets that graze or chew on plants.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Digitaria brownii (Roem. &amp Schult.) D. K. Hughes
• Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
• Subfamily: Panicoideae
• Synonym: Panicum brownii R. &amp S.

Distribution and Habitat

• Cotton Panic Grass grows across much of Western Australia and other regions where it is native.
• It occurs on medium-textured red earths and shallow soils, both in upland and other areas.

Morphological Characteristics

• Digitaria brownii is a rhizomatous perennial grass, growing up to 0.8 meters high.
• It is characterized by hairy foliage and a base that is often slightly swollen.
• The culms (stems) are erect, up to 60 cm high, with a thickened and hairy base.
• Leaves can be glabrous (smooth) or have scattered, tubercle-based hairs.
• It has attractive slender grass with silky purplish flowerheads.

Etymology

• The genus name Digitaria comes from the Latin word "digitus," meaning finger, alluding to the digitate (finger-like) inflorescence.
• The specific epithet brownii is named after Robert Brown (1773-1858), a Scottish botanist.

Ecological Role

• The plant is adapted to fire-prone environments.

Quirky Facts

• The grass is frost-tolerant and self-seeds in Alice gardens, making it a common sight there.
• In C4 photosynthesis, Digitaria brownii restricts Rubisco to bundle sheath cells, optimizing CO2 fixation.

Further Information

• PlantNET: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Digitaria~brownii
• GrassBase: http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db/www/imp02921.htm
• Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN): U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.