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Glite Dictionary
Digitaria ischaemum

Digitaria ischaemum

9.9
A low-growing summer grass often seen as a weed that spreads by seed and by roots at stem joints
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Digitaria ischaemum
  • Digitaria ischaemum thrives in compacted lawns where other grasses may struggle to grow.

Examples

  • The golf course has implemented a special herbicide to control Digitaria ischaemum infestations.

  • Some gardeners use mulch to suppress the spread of Digitaria ischaemum in flower beds.

  • The garden was overrun by Digitaria ischaemum.

  • Farmers often struggle with Digitaria ischaemum in their fields.

  • Digitaria ischaemum quickly covers the bare patches in the lawn, making it a common sight in neglected gardens.

  • Due to its resilience, Digitaria ischaemum is often found in areas where grass struggles to grow, such as along pathways.

  • Many landscapers aim to remove Digitaria ischaemum from their designs as it tends to invade flower beds.

Synonyms

smooth crabgrass
vsDigitaria ischaemum
  • Specialized
8.2

A low lawn weed with smooth stems and leaves that spreads by seeds and roots

is the formal scientific name used for the same plant in taxonomy

Surface Forms

Digitaria ischaemum singular
Digitaria ischaema singular

Morphology

Digitaria + ischaemum

This is a Latin binomial scientific name: 'Digitaria' is a genus label and 'ischaemum' is a taxonomic epithet (not a common English word), so a B1 learner who knows the surface constituents would not be able to infer that it denotes a specific species of grass or weed. The meaning depends on specialized botanical knowledge and does not follow ordinary compositional English semantics, making it unpredictable for learners.

Etymology

Digitaria ischaemum gets its name from the small seed heads that look like 'fingers' and from its low, spreading stems. Because those stems root at their lowest joints and the plant makes many seeds, it easily spreads across lawns and is often called a summer 'weed'.