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Digitaria sanguinalis - (L.)Scop.

Crab Grass

Author	(L.)Scop.	Botanical references	50, 200
Family	Gramineae	Genus	Digitaria
Synonyms	Panicum sanguinale - L.
Known Hazards	There is a report that the leaves might be cyanogenic[218].
Range	Cosmopolitan. A rare casual in Britain[17].
Habitat	Arable ground and waste places in Britain[17].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.5m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed.

Seed - ground up and used as a flour[2, 57, 105]. It has excellent keeping qualities[74] and makes a fine white flour that can be used for semolina[74, 115].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Emetic; Ophthalmic; VD.

A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[218]. A folk remedy for cataracts and debility, it is also said to be emetic[178, 218].

Other Uses

Paper.

A fibre obtained from the plant is used in making paper[74].

Cultivation details

Prefers a sandy soil[50]. Requires a warm sheltered position[162]. This species is occasionally cultivated, especially in Poland, for its edible seed.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in situ in the spring[162]. Only just cover the seed.

Links

References

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. 0
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 0
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.

[162] Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9
Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 0
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Digitaria sanguinalis

Mike Johnson (B.Eng & Hort Cert IV) Sat Jun 2 2007

More commonly called "Summer Grass" in Australia, where it is a troublesome temperate area summer garden weed.

Digitaria sanguinalis

Mike Johnson (B.Eng & Hort Cert IV) Sat Jun 2 2007

More commonly called "Summer Grass" in Australia, where it is a troublesome temperate area summer garden weed.

Digitaria sanguinalis

herbalheritage Wed Apr 1 2009

Herbal Heritage research works on medicinal plants

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