Digitaria — 6 species
Botanical species in the genus Digitaria recorded in the PlantPeers database.
Digitaria ciliaris
Digitaria ciliaris
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though it is likely to succeed oudoors as a spring-sown annual. A polymorphic species.
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Digitaria exilis
Digitaria exilis
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
Fonio is grown at sea level in Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone, but more often it is cultivated at elevations of 600 - 1,500 metres. The average temperature in the growing season ranges from 20°c at higher altitudes to 25 - 30°c near sea level. Fonio is grown in areas with an average annual rainfall of 150 - 3,000 mm, but its cultivation is concentrated in regions with an average annual rainfall of 900 - 1,000 mm.
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Digitaria fuscescens
Digitaria fuscescens
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
The plant is often found as a weed of cultivated crops and disturbed soils within its native range. It has proved to be invasive when taken outside its native range, spreading into the wild by means of seeds and fragments of its rhizomes.
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Digitaria iburua
Digitaria iburua
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
Black fonio is a plant of tropical areas, where it is grown at elevations of 400 - 1,300 metres in areas with an annual rainfall of 900 - 1,000mm. Though it reputedly grows well on poor soils, it is usually planted on more fertile soils in northern Nigeria. It is often grown between rows of sorghum or pearl millet, and often as a mixture with D.
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Digitaria milanjiana
Digitaria milanjiana
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
A plant of the tropics and subtropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 8 - 35°c. Top growth is killed by mild frost, but the plant will often survive and regrow from the base.
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Digitaria sanguinalis
Digitaria sanguinalis
Family: Poaceae
Cultivation
Prefers a sandy soil. Requires a warm sheltered position. This species is occasionally cultivated, especially in Poland, for its edible seed.
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