Scientific name: Digitaria ciliaris (Retz.) Koeler

Synonyms: Panicum ciliare Retz.; Digitaria adscendens (Kunth) Henrard

Common name:Summer grass, Tropical crabgrass

Family: Poaceae

Origin:

Widespread in all tropical regions.

Habit:

Annual grass, forming runners with decumbent or ascending habit, height can be up to 1 m but usually much shorter.

Habitat:

Widespread weed of tended areas.

General description:

Stems and leaves

Stems produce runners which grow along the ground or grow obliquely at first, turning upwards at the ends (ie. either decumbent or ascending), the stems growing in a looping fashion. Stems can be branched or unbranched. The nodes are hairless or have a few hairs. The leaf sheaths are largely hairless, sometimes with a few hairs that have wart-like swellings at the base. The membranous appendages at the base of the leaf blades (ligules) are 1-2 mm long. The shape of the leaf blades is linear to linear-ovate, narrowing to the tip (5-15 x 0.4-0.8 cm).

Flowers and fruit

The inflorescence is a cluster of 4-9 fine spikes in a finger-like arrangement (sub-digitate) at the top of an erect 30-60 cm stalk.

Distinguishing characteristics:

Annual grass, with looping stems, with hairless or slightly hairy leaves and an inflorescence of 4-9 spikes at the top of an erect stalk.

Noxious status:

Not noxious.

Sources:

Kleinschmidt, H.E., Holland, A. and Simpson, P. (1996). Suburban Weeds. 3rd Edition. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.

Stanley, T.E. and Ross, E.M. (1983-1989). Flora of South-eastern Queensland. Volume 3. Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane.