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Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
Similar Species
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Aperçu
Renseignements Généraux
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Family :

Famille :

Poaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Dactilon sanguinale (L.) Vill. (POWO 2023)
Panicum sanguinale L. (POWO 2023)
Paspalum sanguinale (L.) Lam. (POWO 2023)
Syntherisma sanguinalis (L.) Dulac (POWO 2023)

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Large crabgrass

(English) (CABI 2022)
Hairy crabgrass (English) (CABI 2022)
Purple crabgrass (English) (CABI 2022)
Garrachuda (Spanish) (CABI 2022)
Horquetilla (Spanish) (CABI 2022)
Pata de gallina (Spanish) (CABI 2022)
Pata de gallo (Spanish) (CABI 2022)
Digitaire sanguine (French) (CABI 2022)
Panic sanguine (French) (CABI 2022)
Ma tang (Chinese) (CABI 2022)
Harig vingergras (Dutch) (CABI 2022)

Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets

  • Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets

  • Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets

  • Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelet, outer side

  • Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelet, inner side

  • Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets, florets and caryopses

Explore More :

Explore plus :

Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

  • CFIA Weed Seeds Order - Class 4: Secondary Noxious Weed Seeds
  • CFIA Weed Seeds Order - Class 5: Noxious Weed Seeds

Regulation Notes:

Distribution :

Répartition :

Digitaria sanguinalis is native to Europe and has been introduced worldwide in a wide area, with concentrations in southern Africa, southern Australia, China, Europe, Korea, New Zealand, North America and southern South America (Holm et al. 1991; GBIF 2024). This species is distributed across Canada with the exception of Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Territories (Brouillet et al. 2010+). The species is also found throughout the United States, except for Florida (FNA 1993+).

Habitat and Crop Association :

Habitat et Cultures Associées :

Digitaria sanguinalis is generally found in disturbed locations such as roadsides, arable fields, gardens, lawns and pastures (FNA 1993+; Flora van Nederland 2023). The species has adapted to many soil types in both temperate and tropical areas, but grows well at high temperatures and in well-drained soils with a sandy texture (Holm et al. 1991; Blount et al. 2003; Flora van Nederland 2023).

D. sanguinalis has been recorded as a serious weed of Arachis hypogaea L. (peanut), Glycine max L. (soybean), Gossypium hirsutum L. (cotton), Saccharum officinarum L. (sugarcane), Solanum tuberosum L. (potatoes), Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (sorghum) and Zea mays L. subsp. mays (corn) in many countries, along with vegetables, orchards and vineyards (Holm et al. 1991; Monks and Schultheis 1998). The species is a major weed of grass lawns, where it avoids being cut by the low (prostrate) growth form, and of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (bermudagrass) hay fields in the United States. D. sanguinalis is also troublesome in tropical crops such as Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. (pineapple), Carica papaya L. (papaya), Coffea L. sp. (coffee) and Oryza sativa L. (rice) (Holm et al. 1991; Zong et al. 2022).

Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

Digitaria sanguinalis has been utilized as a forage crop in the southern United States, either in pasture rotation or field-grown and cut for hay (Blount et al. 2003). This species was introduced in the 19th century as a forage crop in the United States, and was used in the southern states as a high quality and palatable cattle forage with the ability to grow in hot and dry conditions (Mitich 1988; Blount et al. 2003).

Duration of Life Cycle :

Durée du cycle vital:

Annual

Dispersal Unit Type :

Type d’unité de dispersion :

Spikelet

General Information

RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

The taxon that sterile lemmas with yellowish bristles along the edge belongs to has been debated. Authors have considered this as a species variation, raised it to the subspecies level as Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. subsp. pectiniformis Henrard or moved these plants to a different species Digitaria pectiniformis (Henrard) Tzvelev (Veldkamp 1973; Kok et al. 1989; Wilhalm 2009; USDA-ARS 2024).

Digitaria sanguinalis plants produce ground-level stems (tillers) that can spread up to 2-3 meters in optimal conditions (Holm et al. 1991). A single plant may produce up to 700 tillers in the United States and a plant in the Philippines produced 2 000 seeds (Holm et al. 1991). The spikelets are dormant when freshly shed, and require a storage period, alternating temperatures in the light, or a steady high temperature to break dormancy (Holm et al. 1991). Gallart et al. (2008) found that D. sanguinalis germination was inhibited by the spikelet, floret and caryopsis coats and removing them all increased the germination from 4% to over 95%.

D. sanguinalis infestations have a significant negative effect on the yield and weight of O. sativa (rice) grains (Guo et al. 2023). The infestation of D. sanguinalis reduced Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (bermudagrass) cover by 24% in the United States (Walker et al. 1998). In studies where D. sanguinalis was planted with the crop, it reduced the fruit number of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (snap bean) by 44-60% and Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakaiwith (watermelon) by up to 82% (Monks and Schultheis 1998; Aguyoh and Masiunas 2003). The competitive ability of D. sanguinalis may be enhanced by toxic chemicals from dead plants and roots (allelopathy) (Pereira et al. 2011; Zhou et al. 2013).

D. sanguinalis has developed resistance to a number of herbicides, including triazine, haloxyfop-P-methyl, and has recently shown glyphosate resistance (Holm et al. 1991; Yanniccari et al. 2022; Zong et al. 2022). Biological herbicides such as Z. mays subsp. mays, Brassica juncea L. and Sinapis alba L. seed meal or the fungus anamorph Curvularia intermedia Boedjin have been tested (Tilly and Walker 2002; Turner et al. 2002). Changing crop management for a dense crop canopy early in the season or delaying harvest has shown some success in reducing D. sanguinalis without using chemicals in fields (Turner et al. 2002; Basinger et al. 2019; Oreja et al. 2021).

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Identification

Identification

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  • Spikelet

    Size

    • Spikelet length: 1.7 – 3.4 mm; width: 0.7 – 1.1 mm (FNA 1993+)
    • Spikelet length: 2.0 – 4.1 mm; width: 0.3 – 1.3 mm (Ionescu et al. 2016)
    • Spikelet length*: 2.1 – 2.9 mm; width: 0.8 – 1.0 mm (ISMA 2020)
    • Lower (1st) glume length: up to 0.3 mm (Kok et al. 1989)
    • Lower (1st) glume length: 0.2-0.4 mm (FNA 1993+)
    • Upper (2nd ) glume length: 0.9-2 mm (FNA 1993+)
    • Upper (2nd ) glume length: 0.6-1.5 mm (Ionescu et al. 2016)
    *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 spikelets in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

    Shape

    • Spikelets are long oval-shaped with a pointed end, compressed in 3 dimensions
    • Lower glume triangular shaped
    • Upper glume narrow triangular shaped, gradually narrowing to a pointed tip

    Surface Texture

    • Lower glume smooth, without nerves
    • Upper glume generally with thin, curled hairs and 3 longitudinal nerves

    Colour

    • Spikelet glumes are dull straw-yellow or brownish coloured, may have purple patches or a purple wash

     

    Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets

  • Floret (sterile)

    Size

    • Sterile lemma length similar to floret length

    Shape

    • Sterile floret oval shaped with a pointed end

    Surface Texture

    • Sterile lemma may be hairless, or with thin, curled hairs along the edges with 7 longitudinal nerves
    • Sterile lemma has 7 longitudinal nerves
    • The nerves closest to the edges have short, glassy hairs (spicules) along their length, or only at the pointed end, visible under 20x magnification
    • The 3 middle nerves are generally widely spaced, the rest are close together at the edge
    • Some lemmas may have evenly spaced nerves

    Colour

    • Sterile lemma is dull straw-yellow or brownish, may have purple patches or a purple wash

    Other Features

    • Sterile palea could not be observed
    • Sterile lemmas may have long, glossy yellowish bristles along the edge, see General Information section for more information

  • Floret (fertile)

    Size

    • Floret length: 1.7-3 mm (FNA 1993+)
    • Floret length: 2.9-3.2 mm; width: 1-1.2 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007)

    Shape

    • Florets oval shaped with a long-pointed end, compressed and planoconvex in 3 dimensions

    Surface Texture

    • Fertile lemma and palea appear striated; are pitted in longitudinal lines under magnification (> 40x)
    • Lemma has thin, translucent edges that partially wrap around the palea
    • Floret has a leathery consistency

    Colour

    • Florets are shiny greenish-brown, greyish or brownish coloured, may have purple streaks or patches

    Other Features

    • Palea teeth are not visible

    Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets, florets and caryopses

  • Caryopsis

    Size

    • Caryopsis length: 1.8-2 mm; width: 0.8-1 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007)
    • Caryopsis length: 1.5-2.0 mm; width: ca. 0.7 mm (Meyer 2014)

    Shape

    • Caryopsis is oval shaped, compressed and planoconvex in 3 dimensions

    Surface Texture

    • Caryopsis surface densely pitted under magnification (>20x)

    Colour

    • Caryopsis is shiny translucent white or light brown coloured

    Other Features

    • Caryopsis has a dark brown round or oval hilum near the end of the caryopsis, opposite the embryo

    Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets, florets and caryopses

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  • Embryo

    Size

    • Embryo partially fills the caryopsis

    Shape

    • Embryo is oval shaped

    Endosperm

    • Endosperm is hard and translucent light yellow

    Other Features

    • Embryo is ⅓ – ½ the length of the caryopsis (Meyer 2014)
    • Embryo is in a lateral position

    Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelets, florets and caryopses

Identification Tips

CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

Digitaria species have features that distinguish them from other tribes in the Poaceae:

  • Shed as a spikelet
  • Spikelets have unequal glumes, a sterile floret with a papery consistency and a fertile floret with a leathery consistency
  • Florets lack a rachilla or pedicels
  • Inconspicuous palea teeth

Digitaria sanguinalis plants and spikelets have a combination of features that distinguish them from other Digitaria species:

  • Papillose-based hairs on the leaves
  • Triangular upper glume partially covering the fertile lemma
  • Sterile lemma with short, glassy hairs (spicules) along the nerves at the edge of the spikelet
  • Sterile lemma with 3 middle nerves that are widely spaced
  • Spikelet and floret with purple patches or streaks
  • Fertile floret surface minutely pitted in longitudinal lines
  • Callus not visible

Large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) spikelet, inner side

Additional Botany Information

AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

Flowers/Inflorescence

  • Infloresence a panicle, with 4-13 spike-like primary branches, 3-30 cm long (FNA 1993+)
  • Branches are flattened and winged; 0.7-1.5 mm wide (FNA 1993+)
  • Spikelets in unequal pairs on one side of the branches, 20-70 per branch (Ionescu et al. 2016)

Vegetative Features

  • Stems 20-70(-112) cm long, lower portion near the ground and may have roots (FNA 1993+)
  • Leaf blade length: 2-11(-14) cm; width 3-8(-12) mm (FNA 1993+)
  • Leaf sheaths and blades sparsely pubescent with hairs that grow from a small warty tubercle (papillose-based hairs) (FNA 1993+)
  • Ligule (at junction of leaf blade and sheath) membranous, 0.5-2 mm long (Kok et al. 1989)

Similar Species

ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

Digitaria ischaemum (Screb.) Mull.

Spikelets of D. ischaemum are generally shorter (length: 1.7-2.3 mm, FNA 1993+) than D. sanguinalis spikelets with a longer upper glume (length: 1.3-2.3 mm, FNA 1993+) that may cover the floret. Some or all of the hairs on the upper glume and sterile lemma have club-shaped tips, visible under 60x, while D. sanguinalis hairs do not have distinct tips. The fertile floret of D. ischaemum is dark brown, and is greenish or brownish in D. sanguinalis.

Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler

The upper (2nd) glumes of the spikelets are generally longer (length: (1.2)1.5-2.7 mm, FNA 1993+) than D. sanguinalis, with longer and denser hairs on the upper glume and the edges of the sterile lemma. Short, glassy hairs on the nerves of the sterile lemma (spicules) may indicate D. sanguinalis, but authors have observed spicules in both species (Kok et al. 1989; FNA 1993+). If spicules occur on D. ciliaris, they are confined to the upper (distal) 1/3 of the sterile lemma (FNA 1993+).

The presence of long, glossy yellowish bristles along the edge of the sterile lemma has been described in both D. sanguinalis and D. ciliaris but are more commonly observed in D. ciliaris (Kok et al. 1989; FNA 1993+; Wilhalm 2009). D. ciliaris spikelets with long bristles have been classified as D. ciliaris var. chrysoblephara (Fig. & De Not.) R. R. Stewart, by some authors, or identified as another species, Digitaria bicornis (Lam.) Roem. & Schult. by others (Veldkamp 1973; FNA 1993+; Wilhalm 2009; USDA-ARS 2024).

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Reference(s)

Référence(s)

Aguyoh, J.N. and Masiunas, J.B. 2003. Interference of large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) with snap beans. Weed Science 51:171–176.

Basinger, N.T., Jennings, K.M., Monks, D.W., Jordan, D.L., Everman, W.J., Hestir, E.L., Waldschmidt, M.D., Smith, S.C. and Brownie, C. 2019. Interspecific and intraspecific interference of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) in
sweetpotato. Weed Science 67: 426–432.

Blount, A.R., Ball, D.M., Sprenkel, R.K., Myer, R.O. and Hewitt, T.D. 2003. Crabgrass as a forage and hay crop. University of Florida Extension Publication SS-AGR-193.

Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 1046 pp.

Brouillet, L., Coursol, F., Meades, S. J., Favreau, M., Anions, M., Bélisle, P. and Desmet, P. 2010+. VASCAN, the database of vascular plants of Canada. http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/ Accessed October 17, 2024.

Flora of North America (FNA) Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org Accessed October 17, 2024.

Flora van Nederland: Harig vingergras – Digitaria sanguinalis. Published on the Internet; https://www.floravannederland.nl/planten/harig_vingergras Accessed December 5, 2023.

Gallart, M., Verdú, A.M.C., Mas, M.T. 2008. Dormancy breaking in Digitaria sanguinalis seeds: the role of the caryopsis covering structures. Seed Science and Technology 36: 259-270.

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Secretariat. 2024. Digitaria sanguinalis (l.) Scop. in. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei via GBIF.org Accessed October 17, 2024.

Guo, W-L., Yu, C-J. and Tian, X-S. 2023. Influence of Digitaria sanguinalis density on growth and yield components of dry direct-seeded rice and its economic threshold. Journal of Northwest A & F University – Natural Science Edition 51: 101-109.

Holm, L.G., Plucknett, D.L., Pancho, J.V. and Herberger, J.P. 1991. The World’s Worst Weeds. Distribution and Biology. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 609 pp.

International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for seed size measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide. https://www.idseed.org/authors/details/method_for_seed_size_meaurement.html

Ionescu, N., Trașcă, F., Mincă, G., Trașcă, G., Ciodaru, I. and Voica, M. 2016. Fruit characteristics of Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. Weed from maize crop. Analele Universităţii din Craiova, seria Agricultură – Montanologie – Cadastru 46: 165-171.

Kok, P.D.F., Robbertse, P.J. and van Wyk, A.E. 1989. Systematic study of Digitaria section Digitaria (Poaceae) in southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 55:141-153.

Meyer, D. 2014. Digitaria sanguinalis ( L.) Willd. (Poaceae) In: Universal List of Species. International Seed Testing Association Purity Committee. 70 pp.

Mitich, L.W. 1988. Crabgrass. Weed Technology 2: 114–115.

Monks, D.W. and Schultheis, J.R. 1998. Critical weed-free period for large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) in transplanted watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). Weed Science 46: 530–532.

Oreja, F.H., Batlla, D. and de la Fuente, E.B. 2021. Effect of soybean crop structure on large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) growth and seed dormancy. Weed Science 69: 372–378.

Pereira, M.R.R., Teixeira, R.N., Souza, G.S.F., Silva, J.I.C. and Martins, D. 2011. Inhibition of the Initial Development of Sunflower, Corn and Triticale Plants by Crabgrass. Planta Daninha 29: 305-310.

Tilley, A.M. and Walker, H.L. 2002. Evaluation of Curvularia intermedia (Cochliobolus intermedius) as a potential microbial herbicide for large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis). Biological Control 25:12–21.

Turner, F. A., Jordan, K. S. and Van Acker, R. C. 2012. Review: The recruitment biology and ecology of large and small crabgrass in turfgrass: Implications for management in the context of a cosmetic pesticide ban. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 92: 829-845.

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch Accessed October 22, 2024.

Veldkamp, J.F. 1973. A revision of Digitaria Haller (Gramineae) in Malesia. Notes on Malesian grasses VI. Blumea 21: 1-80.

Walker, R.H., Wehtje, G. and Richburg, J.S., 1998. Interference and control of large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) and southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus) in forage bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon). Weed Technology 12: 707-711.

Wilhalm, T. 1989. Digitaria ciliaris in Europe. Willdenowia 39: 247-259.

Yanniccari, M., Vázquez-García, J.G., Gigón, R., Palma-Bautista, C., Vila-Aiub, M. and De Prado, R. 2022. A novel EPSPS Pro-106-His mutation confers the first case of glyphosate resistance in Digitaria sanguinalis. Pest Management Science 78: 3135–3143.

Zhou, B., Kong, C-H., Li, Y-H., Wang, P., and Xu, X-H. 2013. Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) allelochemicals that interfere with crop growth and the soil microbial community. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 61: 5310−5317.

Zong, T., Li, J., Zhou, X. and Liu, X. Field Resistance of Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. to Haloxyfop-P-methyl in China’s Cotton Fields. Agronomy 12, 1071. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051071

 

Author(s)

AUTEUR(S)

Jennifer Neudorf, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada

Merlijn van den Berg, former botanist of Netherlands Institute for Vectors, Invasive Plants and Plant Health (NIVIP), Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

contactus@idseed.org

Last updated
on 2023-03-27

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