Photo: Digitaria serotina

Crabgrasses

Southern Crabgrass  Digitaria ciliaris

Indian Crabgrass  Digitaria longiflora

Blanket Crabgrass Digitaria serotina

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Poaceae

Native to:   Digitaria longiflora is not native.  The other two species are native to Florida.

Florida abundance and distribution:  All three species are widespread in the state

Recognition:  There are numerous species of Digitaria in Florida (see www.floridagrasses.org).  These three are especially common weeds.    All Digitaria species have long narrow fingerlike flowering spikes (usually with paired spikelets); the spikes tend to be irregular and sloppy in length and arrangement, as if “a kid made it.” 

Digitaria ciliaris is a potentially tall weed often 2’-3’ tall in disturbed mowed sites.  The spikelets have conspicuous cilia around the edges.

Digitaria serotina is a common turf weed.  It forms low mats in lawns.  The leaves are narrowly lanceolate and conspicuously fuzzy.    Digitaria longiflora is somewhat similar but not hairy, and the spikelets are very short (1.2-1.5 mm vs. > 1.5 mm in D. serotina).

Potentially confused species:  Another common turf weed grass is Thin Paspalum; its spikelets are usually about 2 mm long, and > 1 mm wide (vs. smaller in the lawn turf Digitarias)

Contributed by:  George Rogers