Digitaria sanguinalis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64402fc8957a1885789253 |
| Scientific name | Digitaria sanguinalis |
| Authority | (L.) Scop. |
| First published in | Fl. Carniol. , ed. 2, 1: 52 (1771) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Scientific/model-organism use:
Digitaria sanguinalis is widely used in ecological and weed science as a reference species for C4 photosynthesis, herbicide resistance management, competition studies, and invasion ecology. Because it is common, genetically tractable, and completes its life cycle rapidly in controlled conditions, it serves as a model for investigating population dynamics, phenological plasticity, and sustainable management strategies in summer-annual weed communities.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Young leaves and shoots are consumed as a leafy vegetable after boiling or cooking in traditional cuisines where the species is abundant. The seeds are milled into flour for local breads, porridges, or flatbreads, used as a minor cereal substitute or extender in regions where the plant is abundant and harvested for grain. Products are typically prepared by harvesting mature seed heads, threshing, winnowing, grinding, and baking without added health or medicinal claims.
Properties relevant to use:
As a C4 grass, D. sanguinalis accumulates biomass quickly and can set abundant seed. Seed flour is composed predominantly of starch (amylose–amylopectin characteristic of temperate grasses) and protein, typical of small-grain flour chemistry. The species generally produces little to no lignified tissue and no valued gum, resin, or essential oil relevant to commercial extraction. Its growth habit and seed output make it suitable for research and education use where rapid cycling and sample volume are needed.
Standards and regulation:
Scientific and academic uses of the plant typically require standard institutional biosafety and ethics approvals for weed species in laboratories and greenhouses. Agricultural stewardship and local noxious weed policies govern wildland collection and spread prevention to minimize impacts on crop systems.
Sustainability and sourcing:
The species is widely distributed across temperate and subtropical regions, allowing local wild collection or seed harvest for experimental use. To limit agronomic impacts, only non-crop areas should be targeted for material collection. In research settings, simple propagation and seed banking can supply material for repeated experiments without large-scale wild harvest.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Cynodon praecox | Roem. & Schult. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 2: 412 (1817) |
| Dactilon sanguinale | (L.) Vill. | Hist. Pl. Dauphiné 2: 69 (1787) |
| Digitaria aegyptiaca | Willd. | Enum. Pl. [Willdenow] 1: 93. 1809 [Apr 1809] |
| Digitaria aegyptiaca subsp. caucasica | (Henr.) Tzvelev | Zlaki SSSR : 673 (1976) |
| Digitaria australis | Willd. ex Trin. | Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 3(2): 201 (1835) |
| Digitaria caucasica | Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria : 115 (1950) |
| Digitaria ciliaris f. intercedens | Beck | Fl. Nieder-Österreich 1: 43 1880 |
| Digitaria eriogona | Link | Hort. Berol. [Link] 1: 227. 1827 [1 Oct-27 Nov 1827] |
| Digitaria gracilis | Guss. | Enum. Pl. Inarim. : 375 (1855) |
| Digitaria intermedia | Gennari | Fl. Sard. Comp. 24. 1866 (1866) |
| Digitaria nealleyi | Henrard | Blumea 1: 94 (1934) |
| Digitaria nervosa | Roem. & Schult. | Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis [Roemer & Schultes] 2: 473. 1817 [Nov 1817] |
| Digitaria panicea | Willd. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 508 (1840) |
| Digitaria pectiniformis | (Henrard) Tzvelev | Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 22: 60 (1963) |
| Digitaria pilosa | Willd. | Enum. Pl. [Willdenow] 1: 91. 1809 [Apr 1809] |
| Digitaria plebeia | Phil. | Anales Univ. Chile 43: 557 (1873) |
| Digitaria praecox | Willd. | Enum. Pl. : 91 (1809) |
| Digitaria sabulosa | Tzvelev | Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 3: 16 (1966) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. chlorantha | (Kuntze) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 124 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. composita | (Waisb.) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 124 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. illinoensis | Ebinger | Rhodora 76: 57 (1974) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. intercedens | (Beck) Soó | Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 124 (1971 publ. 1972) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. aegyptiaca | (Willd.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 17. 1950 (1950) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. pakistanica | Gilani, Mir A.Khan & Shinwari | Pakistan J. Bot. 35: 280 (2003) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. pectiniformis | Henrard | Blumea 1: 93 (1934) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. sabulosa | (Tzvelev) Tzvelev | Zlaki SSSR : 672 (1976) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis subsp. vulgaris | Henrard | Blumea 1: 92 (1934) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. aegyptiaca | (Retz.) Abdallah & Sa'ad | Egypt Min. Agric. Agric. Res. Centre Herb. Tech. Bull. 4: 43. 1972 [1971 publ. 1972] |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. rottleriana | Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 986. 1950 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. stewartii | Gilani, Mir A.Khan & Shinwari | Pakistan J. Bot. 35: 281 (2003) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. vulgaris | (Döll) Maire & Weiller | in Fl. Afr. Nord 1: 299 1952 |
| Digitaria sanguinaria | Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. : 276 (1821) |
| Digitaria sanguinea | Weber | Prim. Fl. Holsat. 6. 1780 [29 Mar 1780] |
| Digitaria sanguinolenta | Edgew. ex Aitch. | Cat. Pl. Punjab Sindh : 161 (1869) |
| Digitaria sienitica | Hort.Berol. ex Trin. | Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 3(2): 201 (1835) |
| Digitaria stricta | Willd. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 508 (1840) |
| Digitaria tristachya | Willd. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 508 (1840) |
| Digitaria vulgaris | (Schrad.) Besser | Enum. Pl. 5. 1821 (1821) |
| Leptochloa fascicularis | Griseb. ex Benth. | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 19: 108 (1881) |
| Milium membranaceum | Moench | Methodus : 203 (1794) |
| Panicum aegyptiacum | Retz. | Observ. Bot. (Retzius) iii. 8. 1783 |
| Panicum aegyptium | J.F.Gmel. | Syst. Nat. ed. 13[bis] : 159 (1791) |
| Panicum ambiguum | Lapeyr. | Hist. Pl. Pyrenées 31. 1813 |
| Panicum eriogonum | Schrad. | Mant. 2: 253 (1824) |
| Panicum fallax | Spreng. | Bot. Gart. Halle , Nachtr. 1: 29 (1801) |
| Panicum gracile | Nyman | Syll. Fl. Eur. , Suppl.: 70 (1865) |
| Panicum gussonei | K.Richt. | Pl. Eur. 1: 26 (1890) |
| Panicum nervosum | Rottler | Neue Schriften Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 4: 194 (1803) |
| Panicum rottleri | Kunth | Révis. Gramin. i. 33. |
| Panicum sanguinale | L. | Sp. Pl. 1: 57. 1753 [1 May 1753] |
| Panicum sanguinale f. compositum | Waisb. | Köszeg Vid. Növ. ed. 2: 10 1891 |
| Panicum sanguinale var. aegyptiacum | (Willd.) T.Durand & Schinz | Consp. Fl. Afric. 5: 761. 1894 |
| Panicum sanguinale var. vulgare | (Schrad.) Döll | Rhein. Fl. 126. 1843 |
| Panicum sanguineum | Gueldenst. | Reis. Russland 2: 278 (1791) |
| Panicum sanguinolentum | Edgew. ex Aitch. | Cat. Pl. Punjab Sindh : 161 (1869) |
| Panicum trichostachyum | hort. ex Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 2: 264 (1841) |
| Paspalum aegyptiacum | Poir. | Encyc. [J. Lamarck & al.] Suppl. 4. 314. 1816 [29 Jun 1816] |
| Paspalum filiforme | Steud. | Nomencl. Bot. 1: 592. 1821 (1821) |
| Paspalum oxyanthum | Steud. | Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1(1): 27. 1853 [1855 publ. 10-12 Dec 1853] |
| Paspalum sanguinale | Lam. | Tabl. Encycl. i. 176. 1791 |
| Paspalum sanguinale var. rottleri | (Kunth) Hook.f. | Fl. Brit. India 7: 15. 1896 |
| Sanguinaria nevenarae | Bubani | Fl. Pyren. (Bubani) 4: 256. [Dec 1901-Feb 1902] |
| Syntherisma praecox | Walter | Fl. Carol. : 76 (1788) |
| Syntherisma sanguinalis | (L.) Dulac | Fl. Hautes-Pyrénées 77. 1867 (1867) |
| Syntherisma vulgaris | Schrad. | Fl. Germ. 161. 1806 (1806) |
| Syntherisma sanguinale | Dulac | Fl. Hautes-Pyrénées 77. 1867 |
| Panicum sanguinale f. chloranthum | Kuntze | |
| Digitaria ciliaris var. intercedens | Beck | Fl. Nieder-Österreich 1: 43 1890 |
| Digitaria filiformis var. gracilis | (Guss.) Fiori | Fl. Anal. Ital. 1: 51. 1896 |
| Panicum sanguinale var. eriogonum | (Schrad.) Hack. ex T.Durand & Schinz | Consp. Fl. Afr. 5: 763 1894 |
| Panicum sanguinale var. aegyptiacum | (Willd.) Reichardt | Verh. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 21: 30 1871 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. rottleri | (Hook.f.) Prain | Veröff. Geobot. Inst. Rübel Zürich 1181 1903 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. eriogona | (Schrad.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 985 1950 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. gracilis | (Guss.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 298 1950 |
| Panicum ischaemum var. gracile | (Guss.) Fiori | Nuov. Fl. Italia 1: 80 1923 |
| Panicum sanguinale subvar. anisotrichum | Hack. | Ark. Bot. 8(8): 34 (1908) |
| Panicum sanguinale var. breviglume | Döll | Fl. Bras. 2(2): 132 (1877) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. pakistanica | Gilani, Mir A.Khan & Shinwari | Pakistan J. Bot. 35: 281 (2003) |
| Panicum sanguinale subvar. leptostachyon | Döll | Fl. Bras. 2(2): 133 (1877) |
| Panicum sanguinale subvar. platystachyon | Döll | Fl. Bras. 2(2): 132 (1877) |
| Asperella digitaria | Lam. | Tabl. Encycl. 1: 167 (1791) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. biverticillata | A.Reyn. | Bull. Assoc. Pyrén. Échange Pl. 4: 16 (1894) |
| Digitaria ischaemum var. esculenta | Gaudin | Fl. Helv. 1: 154 (1828) |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. frumentacea | Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria : 985 (1950) |
| Digitaria ischaemum var. praecox | (Walter) Heynh. | Nom. Bot. Hort. : 264 (1840) |
| Panicum sanguinale var. brevifolium | St.-Amans | Fl. Agen. : 25 (1821) |
| Paspalum sanguinale var. nanum | Grognot | Cat. Rais. Pl. Vasc. Départ. Saône-et-Loire , Suppl.: 290 (1864) |
| Panicum sanguinale var. major | Mutel | Fl. Franç. Herbor. 4: 21 (1837) |
| Panicum ischaemum subsp. sanguinale | (L.) E.G.Almq. | Svensk Fl. , ed. 20: 231 (1928) |
| Panicum sanguinale var. glabrum | Hack. ex A.Reyn. | Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 19: IV (1909) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | crab finger grass |
| English | crab fingergrass |
| English | crabgrass |
| English | hairy crabgrass |
| English | crab-grass, hairy finger-grass |
| Spanish | syntherisma vulgaris |
| Spanish | cynodon praecox |
| Spanish | panicum sanguinale var. vulgare |
| Spanish | yerba de mal año |
| Spanish | yerba de mal ano |
| Spanish | sangradera de caballo |
| Spanish | panicum sanguinale subsp. marginatum |
| Spanish | panicum sanguinale subsp marginatum |
| Spanish | mijeras |
| Spanish | guarda rocío |
| Spanish | guarda rocio |
| Spanish | grama sanguina |
| Spanish | milium sanguinale |
| Spanish | escobilla blanda |
| Afrikaans | kruisvingergras |
| Afrikaans | kruisgras |
| Arabic | دفرة |
| Belarusian | Расічка крывяная |
| Belarusian | Расічка крывава-чырвоная |
| Bulgarian | кървава росичка |
| Catalan | digitaire sanguine |
| Catalan | xereix aferradís |
| Catalan | peu de poll |
| Catalan | panissalla |
| Czech | rosička krvavá |
| Welsh | byswellt blewog |
| German | blutrote fingerhirse |
| German | digitaire sanguine |
| German | bluthirse |
| Estonian | verev paelhirss |
| Finnish | rikkaverihirssi |
| French | digitaire sanguine |
| French | manne rouge d'europe |
| French | millet sanguin |
| Upper Sorbian | Čerwjena jahlička |
| Lithuanian | digitaire sanguine |
| Latvian | asinssarkanā pasāre |
| Norwegian Bokmål | blodhirse |
| Dutch | bloedgierst |
| Dutch | harig vingergras |
| Punjabi | ਤੱਕੜੀ ਘਾਹ |
| Polish | proso krwawe |
| Polish | palusznik krwawy |
| Punjab | تکڑی گھاہ |
| Russian | Росичка кроваво-красная |
| Russian | Росичка кровяная |
| Swedish | blodhirs |
| Swedish | digitaire sanguine |
| Turkish | büyük yengeç otu |
| Ukrainian | Пальчатка кров'яна |
| Chinese | 马唐 |
| Chinese | 马鹿草 |
| Chinese | 馬唐 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. esculenta | (Gaudin) Caldesi | Fl. Faventinae Tentamen, Nuev. Giornale bot. Ital. 12: 273 1880 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. glabra | (Hack.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 657 1950 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. parvispicula | (Reyn.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 661 1950 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. pubescens | (Hack. ex A.Reyn.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 664 1950 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis var. repens | Farw. | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 10: 23. 1926 |
Forms (abbr. f.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. atricha | (Asch. & Graebn.) Maire & Weiller | Fl. Afrique N. 1: 299 1952 |
| Digitaria sanguinalis f. distachya | (Asch. & Graebn.) Henrard | Monogr. Digitaria 985 1950 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Tanzania
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Macaronesia
- Azores
- Canary Islands
- Cape Verde
- Madeira
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Sudan
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Libya
- Morocco
- Tunisia
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South Tropical Africa
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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Southern Africa
- Botswana
- Cape Provinces
- Free State
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- Northern Provinces
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
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Western Indian Ocean
- Comoros
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
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Caucasus
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China
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- Inner Mongolia
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Eastern Asia
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Middle Asia
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Russian Far East
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Western Asia
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Arabian Peninsula
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Bangladesh
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Indo-China
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- Nicobar Nicobar
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Malesia
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Papuasia
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australia
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New Zealand
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
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Middle Europe
- Austria
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Northern Europe
- Great Britain
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Kriti
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- Sicilia
- Turkey-in-Europe
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Southwestern Europe
- Baleares
- Corse
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
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Mexico
- Mexico Northeast
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
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Northwestern U.S.A.
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South-central U.S.A.
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Southeastern U.S.A.
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Southwestern U.S.A.
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Western Canada
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Eastern Canada
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Pacific click to expand
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South-central Pacific
- Tuamotu
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South-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
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Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Bermuda
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- Puerto Rico
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Central America
- Honduras
- Panamá
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Argentina South
- Chile Central
- Chile North
- Chile South
- Juan Fernández Islands
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Colombia
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000864353 |
| Flora of Alabama | 4763 |
| Canadensys | 7570 |
| USDA Plants | DISA |
| Tropicos | 25513602 |
| INPN | 94995 |
| Flora of Italy | 7791 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:399115-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-409361 |
| PFAF | Digitaria sanguinalis |
| Open Tree Of Life | 971465 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 121769 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000002684 |
| Nature Serve | 2.150384 |
| IPNI | 399115-1 |
| iNaturalist | 51633 |
| GBIF | 5289972 |
| Freebase | /m/03hh61y |
| WisFlora | 3406 |
| EPPO | DIGSA |
| EOL | 1114291 |
| Elurikkus | 4376 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 2731 |
| USDA GRIN | 14103 |
| Wikipedia | Digitaria_sanguinalis |
| Plantarium | 13305 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_964212565.1 | lpDigSang1.hap1.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2024-08-04 | 66 | 870.80 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
No natural compounds are linked yet. If you wish to help please use this tool.
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |