Digitaria fuscescens (yellow crab grass)
Index
- Pictures
- Identity
- Summary of Invasiveness
- Taxonomic Tree
- Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Description
- Plant Type
- Distribution
- Distribution Table
- History of Introduction and Spread
- Introductions
- Risk of Introduction
- Habitat
- Habitat List
- Hosts/Species Affected
- Biology and Ecology
- Climate
- Latitude/Altitude Ranges
- Air Temperature
- Rainfall
- Rainfall Regime
- Soil Tolerances
- Means of Movement and Dispersal
- Pathway Causes
- Pathway Vectors
- Impact Summary
- Risk and Impact Factors
- Uses
- Uses List
- Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
- Prevention and Control
- Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs
- References
- Links to Websites
- Contributors
- Distribution Maps
Don't need the entire report?
Generate a print friendly version containing only the sections you need.
Generate reportPictures
Top of page| Picture | Title | Caption | Copyright |
|---|---|---|---|
| Habit | Digitaria fuscescens (yellow crab grass); habit and typical habitat. | ©Cyrille Mas/via http://tropical.theferns.info/ - CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 | |
| Habit | Digitaria fuscescens (yellow crab grass); close-up of structure and habit. | ©Cyrille Mas/via http://tropical.theferns.info/ - CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 | |
| Inflorescence | Digitaria fuscescens (yellow crab grass); inflorescence. | ©Cyrille Mas/via http://tropical.theferns.info/ - CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 | |
| Seeds | Digitaria fuscescens (yellow crab grass); seeds. | Public Domain - Released by Jose Hernandez, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. |
Identity
Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Digitaria fuscescens (J.Presl) Henrard
Preferred Common Name
- yellow crab grass
Other Scientific Names
- Digitaria fuscescens (J.Presl) J.W.Moore
- Digitaria pseudoischaemum Buse
- Panicum fuscescens J.Presl
- Panicum pseudo-ischaemum (Buse) Boerl.
- Paspalum fuscescens J.Presl
- Paspalum micranthum Desv.
- Syntherisma fuscescens (J.Presl) Scribn.
International Common Names
- English: creeping crabgrass; Y grass
- Portuguese: capim-de-roca; capim-de-vaca
Local Common Names
- Brazil: cuspo-do-taquarizano; grama-mata-éagua
- Indonesia: kakawatan; rumput tembagan
- USA/Hawaii: creeping kukaepua’a
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of pageD. fuscescens is an annual, to perennial grass that is a weed of cultivated crops and disturbed soils (Useful Tropical Plants, 2016). It is also a weed of turf grass (Uddin et al., 2012). The species is listed as invasive in Asia (Chagos Archipelago), South America (Colombia, Peru) and Oceania (Fiji, French Polynesia, USA-Hawaii) (PIER, 2016).
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Monocotyledonae
- Order: Cyperales
- Family: Poaceae
- Genus: Digitaria
- Species: Digitaria fuscescens
Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Top of pageDigitaria is a genus in the Poaceae with about 220 species that are distributed in the tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world (Vega and Rugólo de Agrasar, 2007). The common name crabgrass is applied to many species in the genus. Digitaria comes from Digitus, the Latin word for "finger", referring to the long, finger-like inflorescences produced by the grasses. From the names applied to the species, D. fuscescens (J.Presl) J.W.Moore is an illegitimate name (Quattrocchi, 2006). The specific name fuscescens is New Latin for "blackish", from Latin fuscus, "dark".
Description
Top of pageThe following description is from PROTA (2016):
Annual, ascending from a creeping base; culms 4–30 cm. high. Leaf-blades 1–5 cm. long, 1–4 mm. wide. Inflorescence of 2–4 (typically 2) digitate racemes; racemes 1–7 cm. long, the spikelets ternate on a ribbon-like winged rachis with low rounded midrib. Spikelets narrowly ovate-elliptic, 1.2–1.6 mm. long; lower glume a minute hyaline rim or absent; upper glume as long as the spikelet, 5-nerved (rarely 3-nerved), glabrous; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, glabrous; fruit ellipsoid, pallid to light brown.
Distribution
Top of pageD. fuscescens is mainly present in tropical and subtropical regions (USDA-ARS, 2016). The species is native to India, tropical Asia and Indonesia (PIER, 2016; PROSEA, 2016). In USDA-ARS (2016) it is also listed as native to Bolivia. It is found in Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania (See Distribution Table for details).
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Jan 2020History of Introduction and Spread
Top of pageInformation about the introduction of the species to areas outside its native range and/or its spread is not readily available. Outside its native range, the earliest collections are from the late 1800’s from Hawaii and by the early 1900’s from Brazil (Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, 2016; Missouri Botanical Garden, 2016). It is reported from Fiji by 1919, misidentified as D. longiflora (Gardner, 2007). Being a weed at crop sites, it is possible that the species has been dispersed unintentionally as a contaminant in agricultural products, through soil or transported by humans (PIER, 2016; PROTA, 2016). Another possible reason for its introduction is to be used for erosion control (PROSEA, 2016).
Introductions
Top of page| Introduced to | Introduced from | Year | Reason | Introduced by | Established in wild through | References | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural reproduction | Continuous restocking | |||||||
| Fiji | 1919 | Yes | No | Gardner (2007) | Identified originally as D. longiflora | |||
Risk of Introduction
Top of pageThere is almost no information available about the introduction, dispersion and biology of the species to properly assess the risk of introduction. It is reported as cultivated outside its native range and used for erosion control (Vega and Rugólo de Agrasar, 2007; PROSEA, 2016; PROTA, 2016). It is also a weed of cultivated fields (PIER, 2016). Although no information is available about the effects on other species or the habitats where it is naturalised, based on its capability of growing in different habitats and spreading vegetatively, D. fuscescens has a medium risk of introduction into tropical areas.
Habitat
Top of pageD. fuscescens is a grass species found at beaches, sand dunes, periodically burned grassy savanna, periodically flooding grasslands, forest borders, waste places, field borders, roadsides, hillsides, along trails and in cultivated areas (Rebellato and Nunes da Cunha, 2005; Quattrocchi, 2006; PIER, 2016; PROSEA, 2016; PROTA, 2016). It is found from sea level to about 1350 m elevation (PROSEA, 2016; Missouri Botanical Garden, 2016).
Habitat List
Top of page| Category | Sub-Category | Habitat | Presence | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial | ||||
| Terrestrial – Managed | Disturbed areas | Present, no further details | Natural | |
| Rail / roadsides | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Productive/non-natural | ||
| Terrestrial ‑ Natural / Semi-natural | Natural forests | Present, no further details | Natural | |
| Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Rocky areas / lava flows | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Littoral | ||||
| Coastal areas | Present, no further details | Natural | ||
| Coastal dunes | Present, no further details | Natural |
Hosts/Species Affected
Top of pageThe species is reported as a weed of crops, including rice fields in Indonesia and Laos (Kosaka et al., 2006; PIER, 2016; PROTA, 2016).
Biology and Ecology
Top of pageGenetics
The chromosome number reported for D. fuscescens is n=9 (Dujardin, 1979). Accessions of the species are stored in the National Plant Germplasm System (USDA-ARS, 2016).
Reproductive Biology
D. fuscescens reproduces by seeds and vegetatively through creeping stolons (PROSEA, 2016; Useful Tropical Plants, 2016). It is wind pollinated (Useful Tropical Plants, 2016).
Longevity
D. fuscescens is reported as both an annual and a perennial (Uddin et al., 2010; PROTA, 2016).
Associations
D. fuscescens grows in Venezuela on savannas with species of Trachypogon, Curatella, Byrsonima and Bowdichia (Vega and Rugolo de Agrasar, 2005).
Environmental Requirements
Almost no information is available on the environmental requirements of this species. Rebellato and Nunes da Cunha (2005) consider D. fuscescens as a humidity indicator species, appearing only during the rainy months on a flooding grassland in Matto Grosso do Sul, Brazil. It is reported by Uddin et al. (2010) as growing on sand, sandy clay loam, clay and coarse sandy clay; in temperatures of 24-32°C; and with an annual rainfall of 1800 to 2000 mm. The species grows in full sun (Vega and Rugólo de Agrasar, 2002).
Climate
Top of page| Climate | Status | Description | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Af - Tropical rainforest climate | Preferred | > 60mm precipitation per month | |
| Am - Tropical monsoon climate | Preferred | Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25])) | |
| As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
| Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
| Cw - Warm temperate climate with dry winter | Tolerated | Warm temperate climate with dry winter (Warm average temp. > 10°C, Cold average temp. > 0°C, dry winters) |
Latitude/Altitude Ranges
Top of page| Latitude North (°N) | Latitude South (°S) | Altitude Lower (m) | Altitude Upper (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 38 |
Rainfall
Top of page| Parameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean annual rainfall | 700 | 2000 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
- seasonally waterlogged
Soil texture
- heavy
- light
- medium
Means of Movement and Dispersal
Top of pageD. fuscescens is dispersed by water and by stolon fragments (PIER, 2016). It may have been deliberately introduced to some areas for erosion control (PROSEA, 2016).
Pathway Causes
Top of page| Cause | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding and propagation | Cultivated in Argentina and Sierra Leone | Yes | Vega and Rugólo de Agrasar, 2007 | |
| Crop production | In rice fields, possibly a seed contaminant | Yes | Yes | Kosaka et al., 2006 |
| Disturbance | Weed in disturbed sites | Yes | Quattrocchi, 2006 | |
| Habitat restoration and improvement | Recommended for erosion control | Yes | Yes | PROSEA, 2016 |
| Hitchhiker | Might be carried unintentionally in clothes, shoes, etc | Yes |
Pathway Vectors
Top of page| Vector | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing, footwear and possessions | Possibly carried unintentionally in clothes, shoes, etc. | Yes | ||
| Germplasm | Stored in the National Plant Germplasm System | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS, 2016 |
| Land vehicles | Might be carried unintentionally in agricultural machinery | Yes | ||
| Water | Yes | PIER, 2016 |
Impact Summary
Top of page| Category | Impact |
|---|---|
| Cultural/amenity | Positive and negative |
| Economic/livelihood | Positive and negative |
| Environment (generally) | Positive and negative |
Risk and Impact Factors
Top of page Invasiveness- Proved invasive outside its native range
- Has a broad native range
- Highly adaptable to different environments
- Is a habitat generalist
- Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
- Pioneering in disturbed areas
- Highly mobile locally
- Long lived
- Fast growing
- Has high reproductive potential
- Gregarious
- Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
- Reproduces asexually
- Monoculture formation
- Negatively impacts agriculture
- Competition - monopolizing resources
- Rapid growth
- Highly likely to be transported internationally accidentally
- Difficult to identify/detect as a commodity contaminant
Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
Top of pageD. fuscescens can be confused with D. longiflora. The spikelets of D. longifolia are conspicuously pilose and the plants are densely cespitose, while in D. fuscescens the spikelets are glabrous to glabrescent and the plants are stoloniferous (Giraldo-Cañas, 2005).
Prevention and Control
Top of pageDue to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.
Cultural Control
According to Uddin et al. (2012), D. fuscescens can be controlled in turf grass by a combination of mowing, watering and fertilization; complemented with chemical control. Mowing height should not be low as it will promote weeds in the turf grass. Application of fertilizer at intervals throughout the growing period is recommended and not during dormant or low growth periods as this may encourage weed growth.
Physical/Mechanical Control
Hand pulling and hoeing is recommended for small areas (Uddin et al., 2012).
Chemical control
D. fuscescens can be controlled with a mix of MSMA (monosodium methyl arsenate), dalapon and 2, 4-D (Anon, 1968).
Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs
Top of pageInformation about the biology of this species, the environmental requirements and the impacts on habitats or other species is needed for a complete assessment of the invasiveness of the species.
References
Top of pageAcevedo-Rodríguez P, Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 98:1192 pp. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm
Anon, 1968. General non-selective weed control with monosodium acid methane arsenate (MSMA) based mixtures in rubber plantations., Rubber Research Institute Malaya Plant Bulletin, 95:52-55
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, 2016. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Database. http://www.bishopmuseum.org/collections-3/botany/
Dujardin M, 1979. IOPB chromosome number reports LXIII. , Taxon, 28:275-276
Flora do Brasil, 2016. Brazilian Flora 2020 in construction. http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do#CondicaoTaxonCP
Gardner R, 2007. Grasses (Gramineae) of the central Pacific Ocean region, Records of the Auckland Museum, 44:43-83
Giraldo-Cañas D, 2005. Las especies colombianas del género Digitaria (Poaceae: Panicoideae:Paniceae)., Caldasia, 27(1):25-87
Giraldo-Cañas D, 2011. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en Colombia., Darwiniana, 49(2):139-247
Kosaka Y, Takeda S, Sithirajvongsa S, Xaydala K, 2006. Plant diversity in paddy fields in relation to agricultural practices in Savannkhet province, Laos., Economic Botany, 60(1):49-61
Missouri Botanical Garden, 2016. Tropicos database. St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/
PIER, 2016. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.htm
PROSEA, 2016. Plant resources of South-East Asia. http://proseanet.org/prosea/eprosea.php
PROTA, 2016. PROTA4U web database. Wageningen, Netherlands: Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp
Quattrocchi U, 2006. World dictionary of grasses: common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms, and etymology. Boca Raton, Florida, USA: CRC Press. 2408 pp..
Rebellato L, Nunes da Cunha C, 2005. Efeito do ‘floxo sazonal mínimo da inundação sobre a composição e estrutura de um campo inundável no Pantanal de Poconé, MT, Brasil., Acta Botanica Brasileira, 19(4):789-799
The Plant List, 2013. The Plant List: a working list of all plant species. Version 1.1. London, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.theplantlist.org
Uddin K, Juraimi AS, Ismail MR, 2012. Weed management in tropical turfgrass areas: a review., Archives of Biological Sciences, 64(2):597-603
Uddin K, Juraimi AS, Ismail MR, Brosnan JT, 2010. Characterizing weed populations in different turfgrass sites throughout the Klang Valley of western Penninsular Malaysia., Weed Technology, 24(2):173-181
USDA-ARS, 2016. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, USA. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl
Useful Tropical Plants, 2016. Useful tropical plants database. http://tropical.theferns.info/
Vega AS, Rugólo de Agrasar ZE, 2002. Novedades taxonómicas y sinopsis del género Digitaria (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Paniceae) en Bolivia., Darwiniana, 40(1/4):171-190
Vega AS, Rugólo de Agrasar ZE, 2005. Novedades taxonómicas y sinopsis del género Digitaria (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae) en Colombia y Venezuela., Darwiniana, 43(1/4):232-267
Vega AS, Rugólo de Agrasar ZE, 2007. Novedades taxonómicas y sinopsis del género Digitaria (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae) en América Central., Darwiniana, 45(1):92-119
Zerbo I, Bernhardt-Römermann M, Ouédraogo O, Hahn K, Thiombiano A, 2016. Effects of climate and land use on herbaceous species richness and vegetation composition in West African savanna ecosystems. Journal of Botany, vol. 2016, Article ID 9523685, 11 pp. doi:10.1155/2016/9523685
Distribution References
CABI, Undated. Compendium record. Wallingford, UK: CABI
Flora do Brasil, 2016. Brazilian Flora 2020 in construction., http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do#CondicaoTaxonCP
Missouri Botanical Garden, 2016. Tropicos database., St. Louis, Missouri, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/
PIER, 2016. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk., Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.htm
PROSEA, 2016. Plant resources of South-East Asia., http://proseanet.org/prosea/eprosea.php
PROTA, 2016. PROTA4U web database., Wageningen, Netherlands: Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp
USDA-ARS, 2016. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysimple.aspx
Links to Websites
Top of page| Website | URL | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum | http://www.bishopmuseum.org/collections-3/botany/ | |
| Flora do Brasil | http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do#CondicaoTaxonCP | |
| Useful Tropical Plants | http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Digitaria+fuscescens |
Contributors
Top of page23/12/2016 Original text by:
Jeanine Vélez-Gavilán, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Distribution Maps
Top of pageUnsupported Web Browser:
One or more of the features that are needed to show you the maps functionality are not available in the web browser that you are using.
Please consider upgrading your browser to the latest version or installing a new browser.
More information about modern web browsers can be found at http://browsehappy.com/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Please click OK to ACCEPT or Cancel to REJECT