National Collection of Imperiled Plants

CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Photographer:

Jennifer Possley

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CPC National Collection Plant Profile

Digitaria pauciflora

Family:	Poaceae
Common Names:	Everglades grass, few flowered crabgrass, few flowered fingergrass, finger grass, Florida pineland crabgrass, particular grass, two spike crabgrass
Author:	A.S. Hitchc.
Growth Habit:	Perennial
CPC Number:	1418

Distribution
Protection
Conservation
References

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Photographer: Jennifer Possley

Digitaria pauciflora is Fully Sponsored

Primary custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered Plants is:

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Meghan Fellows contributed to this Plant Profile.

Digitaria pauciflora

Digitaria pauciflora is a blue-green to gray bunch grass that forms mounds of up to one meter (three feet) in diameter. Much of what is known regarding Digitaria pauciflora is taxonomic in nature (e.g. Hitchcock 1935; Webster and Hatch 1990; Wunderlin 1998). It is generally agreed upon that this species is currently known only from the Everglades pinelands (with the exception of a single occurrence which has since disappeared in the Richmond Pineland Complex (Bradley and Gann 1999; R. Hammer pers. comm.) Digitaria pauciflora appears to be fire tolerant, existing in ecosystems that are known to have frequent fires (Avery 1983; Bradley and Gann 1999).

Distribution & Occurrence

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State Range

Florida

Habitat

This species is known from rocky pinelands (Hitchcock 1935; Wunderlin 1988) or more specifically the fingerglades or ecotone between pine rockland and marl prairie, and edges of each ecosystem. These habitats can flood, especially the marl prairie, each wet season (Bradley and Gann 1999; Avery 1983).

Associated species include: Pinus elliottii var. densa, Sabal palmetto, Schizachyrium rhizomatum, Vernonia blodgettii and Elytraria caroliniensis var. angustifolia.

Distribution

This species is endemic to the Everglades region of central and southern Miami-Dade County along the Miami Rock Ridge, from South Miami to Long Pine Key, ranging approx. 42 miles (Avery 1983; Bradley and Gann 1999; R. Hammer, G. Gann and T. Armentano pers. comm.) Current: only at Long Pine Key, approx 31 sq. miles (Bradley and Gann 1999).

Number Left

Two hundred individuals remain at one site in Everglades National Park, Dade County, FL.

Protection

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Global Rank:	G1	6/2/2006	Guide to Global Ranks
Federal Status:	C	1/19/1996	Guide to Federal Status
Recovery Plan:	No

State/Area Protection

State/Area	Rank	Status	Date

Conservation, Ecology & Research

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Ecological Relationships

Unknown.

Threats

Threats include naturally occurring stochastic events, changes in
hydrology, exotic plant invasion (Schinus terebinthifolius, Neyraudia reynaudiana) and alterations in fire patterns (Bradley and Gann 1999).

Current Research Summary

Current Management Summary

Prescribed fires are part of a current management regime.

Research Management Needs

Current research and management needs include understanding shifts in hydrology and alteration of fire patterns. Population monitoring and well as understanding reproductive biology and seedling recruitment requirements will aid in conservation efforts.

Ex Situ Needs

Digitaria pauciflora is not currently in Fairchild Tropical Garden's ex situ collection.

References

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Books (Single Authors)

Hitchcock, A.S.; Chase, A. 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. New York: Dover Publications.

Wunderlin, R.P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. 806p.

Electronic Sources

(2002). Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. [Web site] University of South Florida Institute for Systematic Botany. http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/isb/default.htm. Accessed: 2008.

Journal Articles

Avery, G.N. 1983. Digitaria pauciflora � A very particular grass. Fairchild Trop. Gard. Bull. July: 30-31.

Hammer, R. 2000. Digitaria pauciflora - A very special grass. Newsletter of the Dade Chapter Florida Native Plant Society.

USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572.

Webster, R.D.; Hatch, S.L. 1990. Taxonomy of Digitaria section Aequiglumae (Poaceae: Paniceae). SIDA. 14, 2: 145-167.

Reports

Bradley, K.; Gann, G. 1999. IRC (Institute for Regional Conservation). Vero Beach, Florida: Report submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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This profile was updated on 3/4/2010