Family: Poaceae
Author: (Retz.) Koeler
Bibliography: Descr. Gramin.: 27 (1802)
Year: 1802
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Digitaria
Vegetable: False
Observations: Trop. & Subtrop. Old World
Description
Tropical finger grass, known scientifically as Digitaria ciliaris, is a notable species within the family Poaceae. Originally described in the early 19th century, this grass has garnered attention for its adaptability and prevalence in tropical and subtropical regions across the Old World.
Characterized by its resilient nature, Tropical finger grass thrives in a variety of environmental conditions, making it a common sight in both cultivated lands and uncultivated spaces. Its ability to flourish in diverse settings underscores its significance in the ecosystems where it is found.
The plant features a distinctive appearance with slender, finger-like spikes that can be easily identified, hence its common name. These spikes facilitate wind pollination, a common reproductive strategy among grasses. The leaves of Tropical finger grass are typically narrow and elongated, contributing to its characteristic grass-like profile.
Ecologically, Digitaria ciliaris plays a crucial role in preventing soil erosion due to its extensive root systems. This makes it a valuable plant in maintaining soil stability and health, particularly in areas prone to degradation. Additionally, it serves as forage for livestock, although its nutritional value compared to other grasses varies.
Despite its beneficial qualities, Tropical finger grass is also known for its potential to become invasive under certain conditions. Its robust growth can sometimes outcompete native plant species, leading to challenges in biodiversity conservation.
Overall, Tropical finger grass exemplifies a remarkable balance between utility and ecological impact, warranting careful management to harness its benefits while mitigating its invasive potential.
Common Names
Lit: blakstienotoji pirštuotė
Fra: digitaire, digitaire ciliée
Dan: fin fingeraks
Deu: gewimperte fingerhirse, wimperfingerhirse
Ita: sanguinella cigliata
Eng: southern crabgrass, tropical finger-grass, common crabgrass, crabgrass, southern crab grass, summer grass, tropical finger grass
Por: capim-colchão, capim-da-roça, capim-tinga, milhã
Swe: franshirs
Spa: pata de gallina
Cym: byswellt trofannol
En: Tropical finger grass, Common crabgrass, Crabgrass, Summer grass, Southern crabgrass, Tropical Finger-grass, Southern crab grass, Henry’s crabgrass, Fingergrass, Kukaepua’a, Saulangi, Smooth crabgrass, Tropical crabgrass
Ar: دفره (دَفره)، دفرا (دَفرا)، دفرى (دَفرى)
Da: Fin fingeraks
Fr: Digitaire ciliée, Digitaire, Digitaire sanguine, Digitaire commune
De: Wimperfingerhirse, Gewimperte Fingerhirse, Gewimperte F.
He: אצבען ריסני
Hi: Takri
It: Sanguinella cigliata
Lt: Blakstienotoji pirštuotė
Pt: Capim-colchão, Capim-da-roça, Capim-tinga, Milhã
Pt-br: Capim-milhã, Milhã
Es: Pata de gallina
Sv: Franshirs
Cy: Byswellt Trofannol
Synonyms
- Milium ciliatum (Moench)
- Digitaria tarapacana (Phil.)
- Digitaria sanguinalis var. ciliaris ((Retz.) Parl.)
- Panicum sanguinale subvar. marginatum ((Link) Döll)
- Digitaria biformis var. chrysoblephara ((Fig. & De Not.) Beetle)
- Digitaria marginata var. ciliaris ((Retz.) Ridl.)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. chrysoblephara ((Fig. & De Not.) R.R.Stewart)
- Panicum sanguinale var. longiglume (Trin. ex Nees)
- Syntherisma henryi ((Rendle) Newbould)
- Syntherisma marginata ((Link) Nash)
- Panicum sanguinale var. fimbriatum ((Link) A.Usteri)
- Syntherisma sasakii (Honda)
- Digitaria sasakii ((Honda) Tuyama)
- Paspalum inaequale (Link)
- Panicum ornithopus (Trin.)
- Panicum marginellum (Schrad.)
- Panicum sanguinale var. macrostachyum (T.Durand & Schinz)
- Leersia digitaria ((Lam.) Poir.)
- Digitaria inaequalis ((Link) Spreng.)
- Digitaria sanguinalis var. marginata ((Link) Fernald)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. nubica ((Stapf) S.T.Blake)
- Digitaria marginata var. nubica (Stapf)
- Digitaria ciliaris subsp. nubica ((Stapf) S.K.Jain & Doli Das)
- Panicum linkianum (Kunth)
- Digitaria pes-avis (Buse)
- Digitaria fimbriata (Link)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. fimbriata ((Link) S.K.Jain & Doli Das)
- Spartina pubera (Hassk.)
- Panicum brachyphyllum (Steud.)
- Digitaria ciliata (Lag.)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. sericea ((Honda) S.K.Jain & Doli Das)
- Panicum sanguinale var. blepharanthum (T.Durand & Schinz)
- Digitaria abortiva (Reeder)
- Panicum villiferum (Nees)
- Digitaria chinensis (Hornem.)
- Panicum sanguinale subsp. longiglume ((Trin. ex Nees) Chiov.)
- Panicum pes-avis ((Buse) Koord.)
- Digitaria marginata var. fimbriata ((Link) Stapf)
- Digitaria adscendens var. fimbriata ((Link) Cufod.)
- Syntherisma ciliaris ((Retz.) Schrad.)
- Digitaria marginata (Link)
- Digitaria adscendens subsp. marginata ((Link) Henrard)
- Digitaria adscendens ((Kunth) Henrard)
- Digitaria chrysoblephara (Fig. & De Not.)
- Syntherisma fimbriata ((Link) Nash)
- Milium ciliare ((Retz.) Moench)
- Digitaria ciliaris subsp. chrysoblephara ((Fig. & De Not.) R.B.Majumdar)
- Asprella digitaria (Lam.)
- Sanguinaria ciliaris ((Retz.) Bubani)
- Digitaria brevifolia (Link)
- Digitaria ciliaris f. albovariegata (T.Oishi)
- Panicum sanguinale subsp. marginatum ((Link) Thell.)
- Panicum sanguinale var. ciliare ((Retz.) St.-Amans)
- Digitaria marginata var. linkii (Stapf)
- Digitaria adscendens var. criniformis (Henrard)
- Syntherisma sericea (Honda)
- Syntherisma sanguinalis subsp. ciliaris ((Retz.) Masam. & Yanagita)
- Digitaria sanguinalis var. fimbriata ((Link) Merr.)
- Digitaria sanguinalis f. ciliaris ((Retz.) Haines)
- Digitaria adscendens subsp. nubica ((Stapf) Henrard)
- Digitaria sericea ((Honda) Ohwi)
- Panicum linkianum var. minus (E.Fourn.)
- Paspalum ciliare ((Retz.) DC.)
- Panicum henryi ((Rendle) Makino & Nemoto)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. pes-avis ((Buse) S.K.Jain & Doli Das)
- Digitaria adscendens subsp. chrysoblephara ((Fig. & De Not.) Henrard)
- Digitaria ciliaris subsp. marginata ((Link) S.K.Jain & Doli Das)
- Syntherisma sanguinalis var. ciliaris ((Retz.) Honda)
- Digitaria adscendens var. sericea ((Honda) Henrard)
- Digitaria ciliaris var. criniformis ((Henrard) R.B.Majumdar)
- Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. ciliaris ((Retz.) Parl.)
- Paspalum sanguinale var. ciliare ((Retz.) Hook.f.)
- Digitaria adscendens var. pes-avis ((Buse) Henrard)
- Panicum aegyptiacum var. blepharanthum ((T.Durand & Schinz) Chiov.)
- Digitaria henryi (Rendle)
- Panicum inaequale ((Link) E.Fourn.)
Distribution
- Aldabra (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Angola (native)
- Ascension (native)
- Assam (native)
- Azores (native)
- Bangladesh (native)
- Benin (native)
- Botswana (native)
- Burkina (native)
- Cambodia (native)
- Cameroon (native)
- Canary Is. (native)
- Cape Provinces (native)
- Cape Verde (native)
- Central African Repu (native)
- Chad (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Congo (native)
- Djibouti (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Egypt (native)
- Eritrea (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- Free State (native)
- Gambia (native)
- Ghana (native)
- Guinea (native)
- Guinea-Bissau (native)
- Gulf States (native)
- Hainan (native)
- India (native)
- Inner Mongolia (native)
- Ivory Coast (native)
- Japan (native)
- Kazan-retto (native)
- Kenya (native)
- Korea (native)
- Kuril Is. (native)
- Kuwait (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Laccadive Is. (native)
- Laos (native)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
- Liberia (native)
- Libya (native)
- Madagascar (native)
- Malaya (native)
- Mali (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mauritania (native)
- Mauritius (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Myanmar (native)
- Nansei-shoto (native)
- Nepal (native)
- Niger (native)
- Nigeria (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Ogasawara-shoto (native)
- Oman (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Rodrigues (native)
- Réunion (native)
- Saudi Arabia (native)
- Senegal (native)
- Seychelles (native)
- Sierra Leone (native)
- Sinai (native)
- Socotra (native)
- Somalia (native)
- South China Sea (native)
- Sri Lanka (native)
- Sudan (native)
- Swaziland (native)
- Taiwan (native)
- Tanzania (native)
- Thailand (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Uganda (native)
- Vietnam (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yemen (native)
- Zaïre (native)
- Zimbabwe (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Arizona (introduced)
- Arkansas (introduced)
- Aruba (introduced)
- Austria (introduced)
- Bahamas (introduced)
- Belize (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil North (introduced)
- Brazil Northeast (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Brazil West-Central (introduced)
- Bulgaria (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Cayman Is. (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile North (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Costa Rica (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Czechoslovakia (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- District of Columbia (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- East European Russia (introduced)
- Easter Is. (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- El Salvador (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- French Guiana (introduced)
- Galápagos (introduced)
- Georgia (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Greece (introduced)
- Guatemala (introduced)
- Guyana (introduced)
- Haiti (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Honduras (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Indiana (introduced)
- Iowa (introduced)
- Italy (introduced)
- Jamaica (introduced)
- Jawa (introduced)
- Kansas (introduced)
- Kermadec Is. (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Louisiana (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- Marcus I. (introduced)
- Marianas (introduced)
- Marquesas (introduced)
- Marshall Is. (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mexico Central (introduced)
- Mexico Gulf (introduced)
- Mexico Northeast (introduced)
- Mexico Northwest (introduced)
- Mexico Southeast (introduced)
- Mexico Southwest (introduced)
- Mississippi (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- Nauru (introduced)
- Nebraska (introduced)
- Netherlands Antilles (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Guinea (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New South Wales (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- Nicaragua (introduced)
- Nicobar Is. (introduced)
- Niue (introduced)
- Norfolk Is. (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- Northern Territory (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Panamá (introduced)
- Paraguay (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Phoenix Is. (introduced)
- Portugal (introduced)
- Primorye (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Queensland (introduced)
- Samoa (introduced)
- Sardegna (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- Solomon Is. (introduced)
- South Australia (introduced)
- South Carolina (introduced)
- Spain (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Suriname (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Tokelau-Manihiki (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Tubuai Is. (introduced)
- Turks-Caicos Is. (introduced)
- Uruguay (introduced)
- Utah (introduced)
- Vanuatu (introduced)
- Venezuela (introduced)
- Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
- Victoria (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- Wake I. (introduced)
- Wallis-Futuna Is. (introduced)
- Western Australia (introduced)
- Windward Is. (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 Sep 14, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Sep 14, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 16, 2021 by Maru Bla (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 28, 2020 by Robert Rieck (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Aug 27, 2019 by Dell’Erba Laura (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 14, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 23, 2020 by Theophile Pozet (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Aug 3, 2018 by Juliette Cavelan (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Oct 30, 2022 by marash rakaj (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − W. L. Wagner (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Sep 27, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Patrick LEBOULENGER (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − 2010 G. Yatskievych (cc-by-nc-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5289998)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1038558-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler)
Specifications
Growth form: Stoloniferous
Growth habit: Graminoid
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.0
Ph minimum: 5.0
