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southern crabgrass
Scientific Name: Digitaria ciliaris
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual
Other Names:
Southern Crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris)
Southern crabgrass is an annual warm-season grass commonly found in lawns and gardens, especially in the southern regions.
Considerations for Pets
- This grass can form dense mats and spread, which might be a concern for smaller pets getting tangled.
Considerations for Children
- It grows up to 3 feet tall and the stems are known to root at the nodes.
Common Names
- Southern Crabgrass
- Tropical Finger-grass
- Tropical Crabgrass
- Summer Grass
- Henry's Crabgrass
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler
- Family: Poaceae (Grass Family) or Gramineae
- Synonyms:
- D. marginata
- Panicum adscendens
Distribution and Habitat
- Southern crabgrass is found in the southern two-thirds of the U.S.
- It is also common in southern Ontario, but occurs sporadically in northern and north-western Ontario.
- It can occur in virtually any annual crop of the tropics and sub-tropics, and in most perennial crops and pastures.
- It has been observed in Midway Atoll, Eastern Island.
Ecological Role
- Southern crabgrass is considered an invasive weed.
- It can be a troublesome weed in lawns and gardens.
- It is an important grass weed of rice in many tropical countries.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Southern crabgrass is an annual grass, typically reaching around 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) in height.
- It can be tufted or prostrate to spreading.
- The stems are branched and root at the nodes, forming loose bunches or mats.
- The grass can be annual bending and rooting at lower joints, or erect
- Leaf blades are flat, smooth or usually with hairs on both sides and longer than 2 inches (5 cm).
- The seedlings are distinct.
- It is often decumbent, rooting at the nodes and spreading to form untidy patches up to 1 m across and 50 cm high.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- It can be affected by diseases such as Blast, caused by the organism Magnaporthe grisea.
Further Information
- USDA PLANTS Symbol: DICI
- Southern Weed Science Society, www.ipmimages.org
- Dave's Garden