Digitaria sanguinalis is a species of grass known by several common names, including hairy crabgrass,[2]hairy finger-grass,[3]large crabgrass, crab finger grass, purple crabgrass.[4] It is one of the better-known species of the genus Digitaria, and one that is known nearly worldwide as a common weed. It is used as animal fodder, and the seeds are edible and have been used as a grain in Germany and especially Poland, where it is sometimes cultivated.[5] This has earned it the name Polish millet.[6]
It is an annual grass with an inflorescence of up to nine very long, very thin, radiating branches atop its stems. Each branch is lined with pairs of very tiny spikelets. The inflorescences may be reddish or purplish.
Usesedit
During the European Middle Ages, Digitaria sanguinalis was cultivated by Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe, where it was cooked in soups and porridges.[7]
The plant was brought to the United States by immigrants to serve as hand-foraged grain. The grass is also highly nutritious, especially before the plant exhausts itself producing seed. It is frequently sown in fields to provide graze for animals, or clipped and bundled as hay. Compared to other grasses, it has a relatively high protein percentage.[8] Farmers will sometimes till patches in their pastures in the late spring, with the intent of encouraging crabgrass seed.
For human consumption, crabgrass necessarily must be harvested by hand, because it produces grain throughout summer, rather than simultaneously. Machine harvesting would require monthly passes, and even then much of the seed would go to waste. Crabgrass produces an exceptionally high amount of grain, it smothers other weeds, it acts as its own mulch, and it can survive both heat and drought. Its adaptability makes it a candidate for environmental small-farming.[9]
Controledit
Its usefulness to nineteenth-century homesteaders has made its seed widespread, and today is generally considered an unattractive nuisance. Crabgrass takes advantage of low fertility and drought, since this tends to weaken other grasses and it tends to invade manicured turf. It is difficult to kill, as it will regenerate, and chemicals will likely harm surrounding grasses. As an annual, it can be controlled by preemergent herbicides. The most efficient means of control is to pull patches, and keep the rest of the lawn watered and mowed at a height of two to three inches.[10]
^USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Digitaria sanguinalis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
digitaria, sanguinalis, species, grass, known, several, common, names, including, hairy, crabgrass, hairy, finger, grass, large, crabgrass, crab, finger, grass, purple, crabgrass, better, known, species, genus, digitaria, that, known, nearly, worldwide, common. Digitaria sanguinalis is a species of grass known by several common names including hairy crabgrass 2 hairy finger grass 3 large crabgrass crab finger grass purple crabgrass 4 It is one of the better known species of the genus Digitaria and one that is known nearly worldwide as a common weed It is used as animal fodder and the seeds are edible and have been used as a grain in Germany and especially Poland where it is sometimes cultivated 5 This has earned it the name Polish millet 6 Digitaria sanguinalis Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Monocots Clade Commelinids Order Poales Family Poaceae Subfamily Panicoideae Genus Digitaria Species D sanguinalis Binomial name Digitaria sanguinalis L Scop Synonyms 1 List Asperella digitaria Lam Cynodon praecox Walter Roem amp Schult Dactilon sanguinale L Vill Digitaria aegyptiaca Willd Digitaria australis Willd ex Trin nom inval Digitaria caucasica Henrard Digitaria eriogona Schrad Link Digitaria gracilis Guss Digitaria intermedia Gennari Digitaria nealleyi Henrard Digitaria nervosa Rottb Roem amp Schult Digitaria panicea Willd ex Steud nom inval Digitaria pectiniformis Henrard Tzvelev Digitaria pilosa Pieri nom illeg Digitaria plebeia Phil Digitaria praecox Walter Willd Digitaria sabulosa Tzvelev Digitaria sanguinaria Steud nom inval Digitaria sanguinea Weber Spelling variant Digitaria sanguinolenta Edgew ex Aitch nom inval Digitaria sienitica Trin nom inval Digitaria stricta Willd ex Steud nom inval Digitaria tristachya Willd ex Steud nom inval Digitaria vulgaris Schrad Besser Leptochloa fascicularis Griseb ex Benth nom inval Milium membranaceum Moench Panicum aegyptiacum Retz nom illeg Panicum aegyptium J F Gmel Spelling variant Panicum ambiguum Lapeyr nom inval Panicum eriogonum Schrad Panicum fallax Spreng Panicum gracile Guss Nyman nom illeg Panicum gussonii K Richt Panicum nervosum Rottler nom illeg Panicum rottleri Kunth Panicum sanguinale L Panicum sanguineum Gueldenst Panicum sanguinolentum Edgew ex Aitch nom inval Panicum trichostachyum Steud nom inval Paspalum aegyptiacum Willd Poir Paspalum filiforme Steud nom inval Paspalum oxyanthum Steud Paspalum sanguinale L Lam Sanguinaria nevenarae Bubani Syntherisma praecox Walter Syntherisma sanguinale L Dulac Syntherisma sanguinalis L Dulac Syntherisma vulgaris Schrad Contents 1 Description 2 Uses 3 Control 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription editIt is an annual grass with an inflorescence of up to nine very long very thin radiating branches atop its stems Each branch is lined with pairs of very tiny spikelets The inflorescences may be reddish or purplish nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Uses editDuring the European Middle Ages Digitaria sanguinalis was cultivated by Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe where it was cooked in soups and porridges 7 The plant was brought to the United States by immigrants to serve as hand foraged grain The grass is also highly nutritious especially before the plant exhausts itself producing seed It is frequently sown in fields to provide graze for animals or clipped and bundled as hay Compared to other grasses it has a relatively high protein percentage 8 Farmers will sometimes till patches in their pastures in the late spring with the intent of encouraging crabgrass seed For human consumption crabgrass necessarily must be harvested by hand because it produces grain throughout summer rather than simultaneously Machine harvesting would require monthly passes and even then much of the seed would go to waste Crabgrass produces an exceptionally high amount of grain it smothers other weeds it acts as its own mulch and it can survive both heat and drought Its adaptability makes it a candidate for environmental small farming 9 Control editIts usefulness to nineteenth century homesteaders has made its seed widespread and today is generally considered an unattractive nuisance Crabgrass takes advantage of low fertility and drought since this tends to weaken other grasses and it tends to invade manicured turf It is difficult to kill as it will regenerate and chemicals will likely harm surrounding grasses As an annual it can be controlled by preemergent herbicides The most efficient means of control is to pull patches and keep the rest of the lawn watered and mowed at a height of two to three inches 10 See also editDigitaria compacta raishan used as a grain crop in northeast India Digitaria exilis white fonio used as a crop in West Africa Digitaria iburua black fonio used as a crop in West AfricaReferences edit Digitaria sanguinalis L Scop World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Retrieved 7 February 2015 via The Plant List Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online USDA NRCS n d Digitaria sanguinalis The PLANTS Database plants usda gov Greensboro North Carolina National Plant Data Team Retrieved 18 January 2016 BSBI List 2007 xls Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland Archived from the original xls on 2015 06 26 Retrieved 2014 10 17 Digitaria sanguinalis Germplasm Resources Information Network Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 6 February 2015 Georgia Ada E 1914 A Manual of Weeds The Macmillan Company Digitaria sanguinalis section Polish millet Merriam Webster Online subscription required Nesbitt Mark 2005 Prance Ghillean Nesbitt Mark eds The Cultural History of Plants Routledge p 47 ISBN 0415927463 Digitaria sanguinalis Plants for a Future Green Deane Crabgrass Was King Digitaria sanguinalis CabiExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Digitaria sanguinalis Jepson Manual Treatment Grass Manual Treatment PIER Worldwide Profile Digitaria sanguinalis in the CalPhotos photo database University of California Berkeley Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Digitaria sanguinalis amp oldid 1171646086, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
