Jamaican crabgrass (Digitaria horizontalis, Enum. Pl.: 92 (1809))

Family: Poaceae

Author: Willd.

Bibliography: Enum. Pl.: 92 (1809)

Year: 1809

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Digitaria

Vegetable: False

Observations: Trop. & Subtrop. America, Cape Verde, W. & WC. Trop. Africa

Description

Jamaican crabgrass, known scientifically as Digitaria horizontalis, is a resilient species belonging to the Poaceae family. This grass thrives predominantly in tropical and subtropical regions across America, including Cape Verde, as well as in the western and west-central parts of tropical Africa.

Originally documented in Willdenow’s “Enumeratio Plantarum” in 1809, Digitaria horizontalis is recognized for its ability to adapt and spread in various climates within its native range. This characteristic allows it to flourish in diverse landscapes, contributing to its broad geographic distribution.

Due to its hardy nature, Jamaican crabgrass often appears in habitats that provide ample sunlight and nutrient-rich soils. Its presence is frequently noted in disturbed areas, where it takes advantage of open space to grow and propagate.

Overall, Digitaria horizontalis plays a significant ecological role in the environments it inhabits, supporting the local biodiversity by offering sustenance and habitat for various species. Its robust adaptability ensures that it continues to be a prevalent grass species across numerous regions within its distributional range.

Common Names

Eng: jamaican crabgrass, hay grass
Por: capim-colchão, capim-de-roça, capim-tinga
Spa: guardarrocio, conejo, guadin, guaduin, hierba coneja (huila, tolima), pasto conejo (valle del cauca)
En: Jamaican crabgrass, Jamaican Crab Grass, Hay Grass, Jamaica Crabgrass
Fr: Herbe fine
Pt: Capim-colchão, Capim-de-roça, Capim-tinga
Es: Pata de gallina, Guardarrocio, Conejo, Guadin, Guaduin, Hierba coneja (Huila, Tolima), Pasto conejo (Valle del Cauca), Hierba coneja (Huila, Tolima)

Synonyms

• Paspalum oxyanthum (Steud.)
• Panicum sanguinale var. filiforme (T.Durand & Schinz)
• Digitaria sanguinalis var. horizontalis ((Willd.) Rendle)
• Digitaria reflexa (Schumach.)
• Digitaria sanguinalis f. umbraticola (Henrard)
• Paspalum distans (Nees)
• Panicum umbraticola (Kunth)
• Panicum redemptum (Chiov.)
• Panicum hamiltonii (Kunth)
• Panicum porranthum (Steud.)
• Panicum sanguinale var. horizontale ((Willd.) Schweinf.)
• Panicum sanguinale subvar. distans ((Nees) Döll)
• Panicum sanguinale subsp. horizontale ((Willd.) Hack.)
• Digitaria undulata (Schrank ex Steud.)
• Digitaria umbraticola (Döll)
• Panicum horizontale ((Willd.) G.Mey.)
• Panicum stipatum (J.Presl)
• Panicum sanguinale var. porranthum ((Steud.) Franch.)
• Digitaria horizontalis var. porrhantha ((Steud.) C.E.Hubb. & Vaughan)
• Digitaria setosa (Desv.)
• Syntherisma setosa ((Desv.) Nash)

Distribution

• Argentina Northeast (native)
• Argentina Northwest (native)
• Bahamas (native)
• Belize (native)
• Benin (native)
• Bolivia (native)
• Brazil North (native)
• Brazil Northeast (native)
• Brazil South (native)
• Brazil Southeast (native)
• Brazil West-Central (native)
• Burkina (native)
• Burundi (native)
• Cameroon (native)
• Cape Verde (native)
• Cayman Is. (native)
• Central African Repu (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Congo (native)
• Costa Rica (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• Ecuador (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Florida (native)
• French Guiana (native)
• Gabon (native)
• Galápagos (native)
• Gambia (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Guinea (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Gulf of Guinea Is. (native)
• Guyana (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Honduras (native)
• Ivory Coast (native)
• Jamaica (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Liberia (native)
• Mali (native)
• Mauritania (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Nicaragua (native)
• Niger (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Paraguay (native)
• Peru (native)
• Puerto Rico (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Suriname (native)
• Togo (native)
• Trinidad-Tobago (native)
• Turks-Caicos Is. (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Venezuelan Antilles (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Alabama (introduced)
• Aldabra (introduced)
• Bangladesh (introduced)
• Bermuda (introduced)
• Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
• Comoros (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Madagascar (introduced)
• Marquesas (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Mississippi (introduced)
• Myanmar (introduced)
• North Caucasus (introduced)
• Rodrigues (introduced)
• Réunion (introduced)
• Samoa (introduced)
• Seychelles (introduced)
• Society Is. (introduced)
• South Carolina (introduced)
• Tanzania (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Transcaucasus (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)

Additional Images

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Habit

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Más & Lugo-Torres (cc-by-nc-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Más & Lugo-Torres (cc-by-nc-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5289958)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:329014-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Digitaria horizontalis Willd.)

Specifications

Growth habit>: Graminoid

Growth