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Digitaria setigera var. setigera

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Digitaria

itchy crabgrass, kūkaepua‘a [kukaepuaa], mau‘u kūkaepua‘a [mauu kukaepuaa]

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annuals; 20–80 cm tall.

Stems: Culms geniculately ascending from a decumbent base.

Roots: Roots fibrous.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades linear to lanceolate, 3-25 cm long, 3-12 mm wide. Surfaces moderately to densely stiff-pubescent. Veins parallel. Sheaths sparsely to densely stiff-pubescent; ligule 1.5-3 mm long, truncate, erose. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Inflorescences composed of 3-15 racemes arranged on a common axis, 1-6 cm long, or digitate in smaller plants, racemes 4-15 cm long; spikelets in pairs, imbricate, rachis trigonous, winged, sometimes with a few long, glistening hairs; spikelets lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2-3 mm long; first glume absent or less than 0.3 mm long, second glume 1/8-1/4 as long as the spikelet, oblong or triangular, 0-3-nerved, margins usually arachnoid pubescent. first lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, the nerves evenly spaced or with a wide central interval, appressed pubescent or silky pubescent, rarely ciliate or with stiff bristles; palea as long as lemma.

Fruit: Caryopsis gray to yellowish brown; lanceolate; glabrous.

Ploidy: 2n = 18; 36; 54; 72

Habitat: Occurring in disturbed areas in mesic forest; fields and pastures; and along roadsides.

Elevation Range: 10–980 m.

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (41)

Digitaria consanguinea Gaudich. (1829)
Digitaria extensa (Hook.f.) Henrard (1934)
Digitaria hainanensis Hitchc. (1935)
Digitaria lanosa Llanos (1851)
Digitaria marginata var. extensa (Hook.f.) E.G.Camus & A.Camus (1922)
Digitaria marginata var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Ridl. (1925)
Digitaria microbachne (J.Presl) Henrard (1930)
Digitaria microbachne subsp. presliana Henrard (1950)
Digitaria microbachne var. longivillosa Henrard (1950)
Digitaria microstachya Henrard (1950)
Digitaria pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Buse (1854)
Digitaria pruriens var. microbachne (J.Presl) Fosberg (1955)
Digitaria sanguinalis f. extensa (Hook.f.) Haines (1924)
Digitaria sanguinalis var. evalvula (Honda) Honda (1939)
Digitaria sanguinalis var. extensa (Hook.f.) Rendle (1899)
Digitaria sanguinalis var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Prain (1903)
Digitaria subhorizontalis Ohwi (1942)
Digitaria timorensis var. norfolkiana (Endl.) Henrard (1950)
Lasiolytrum pilosum Steud. ex Jard. (1857)
Panicum dilatatum Steud. (1853)
Panicum extensum Nees ex Steud. (1853)
Panicum microbachne J.Presl (1830)
Panicum norfolkianum Endl. (1833)
Panicum pruriens Fisch. ex Trin. (1826)
Panicum pruriens var. glabrum Nees (1850)
Panicum sanguinale var. extensum (Hook.f.) Matsum. (1905)
Panicum sanguinale var. humifusum Hack. (1885)
Panicum sanguinale var. microbachne (J.Presl) Hack. (1890)
Panicum sanguinale var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Drake (1893)
Panicum sanguinale var. reimarioides (Brongn.) Drake (1893)
Paspalum consanguineum (Gaudich.) Kunth (1833)
Paspalum reimarioides Brongn. (1833)
Paspalum sanguinale var. extensum Hook.f. (1896)
Paspalum sanguinale var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Hook.f. (1896)
Syntherisma consanguinea (Gaudich.) Skeels (1913)
Syntherisma marginata var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Honda (1930)
Syntherisma microbachne (J.Presl) Hitchc. (1922)
Syntherisma pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Arthur (1919)
Syntherisma sanguinalis var. evalvula Honda (1924)
Syntherisma sanguinalis var. extensa (Hook.f.) Honda (1930)
Syntherisma sanguinalis var. pruriens (Fisch. ex Trin.) Honda (1930)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • For ‘ea and pa‘ao‘ao the young leaf buds are masticated with niu (coconut, Cocos nucifera) and used as a pugative. For lua‘i a koko and hikoko the leaves, stalk, and leaf buds are used; this may be followed by ‘alaea clay, mai‘a iholena (Musa spp.) and pia (Tacca leontopetaloides). For the eye disorder, maka‘onohiai‘a, the saliva from chewed leaf buds and leaves is employed (Chun 1994:168–170).

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Indigenous
Kaua'i Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Molokai Indigenous
Lana'i Indigenous
Maui Indigenous
Hawai'i Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1531 (Ni, K, O, Mo, L, M, H); Herbst & Clayton 1998:23/Faccenda 2023c:110 (KEY); Faccenda 2025b:116 (updated to var. setigera); Faccenda 2025 (occurred before European contact, may have been accidentally introduced by Polynesians); Degener 28508 BISH (L†, 1963)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Digitaria setigera var. setigera [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Pukui, M.K. Oahu BISH 1931-01-01
2 Digitaria setigera var. setigera Waipio Preserved_Specimen Swanson, R. Hawaii BISH 1931-07-09
3 Digitaria setigera var. setigera Ca. 1.7 miles down Hilina Pali Switchback Trail from end of Hilina Pali Rd. to base of pali where land levels out onto a plateau-like area. (Plot 47) Eragrostis tenella grassland community. Preserved_Specimen Grass ca. 3 tall, extremely pubescent. Sterile. Newell, C.L. 442 Hawaii BISH 1966-08-18
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