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slender crabgrass
Scientific Name: Digitaria filiformis
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual, Perennial
Other Names: MI (slender finger-grass), NY (slender crabgrass),
Slender Crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis)
Slender crabgrass, scientifically known as Digitaria filiformis, is a grass native to southern and eastern North America.
Considerations for Pets
- This grass is described as slender and wiry, and the seedheads are composed of slender, fingerlike spikes.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Digitaria filiformis (L.) Koeler
- Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Synonyms: Syntherisma filiformis, Digitaria filiformis (D. laeviglumis)
- Common Names: Slender crabgrass, crabgrass, finger-grass, fonio
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to southern and eastern North America.
- Found on the coastal plain.
- In New England, there are two varieties.
Morphological Characteristics
- Slender monocotyledonous annual and perennial graminoid.
- Flowers are arranged in slender, finger-like spikes (actually spike-like racemes) arising from the top of the flowering stem.
- Stems are long, slender, and wiry with prominent nodes.
Quirky Facts
- The name for the genus Digitaria comes from the Latin word for "finger," referring to the fingerlike flowering stalks.
Additional Information
- Slender crabgrass is an annual plant that grows for one season.
- It is considered a high-quality summer annual forage grass.
External Resources
- Dave's Garden (garden tips and ideas)
- Discover Life (biology, natural history, ecology, identification and distribution)
- USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- Encyclopedia of Life (articles about Digitaria filiformis)
- New York Metropolitan Flora Project