Sourgrass
Digitaria insularis
Family: Poaceae
Tufted perennial grass, with very short, swollen rhizomes and knotty bases, growing over 4’ tall. Similar to the much more common D. californica, but with golden-brown hairs covering the spikelets, rather than the silvery-white hairs that are so distinctive on D. californica. It is called "sourgrass" because the plant supposedly has a noticeably sour taste when consumed (we have not yet tried this).
Full to part sun, best on irrigation.
D. insularis is used in traditional medicine for bladder and kidney inflammation in Cuba; also as a diuretic and for dressing contusions and wounds; in Paraguay it is used with other herbs in abortive medicine. Extracts of D. insularis are also effective in the in vitro treatment of gastrointestinal nematodes of goats.
Panicles may be used to decorate altars and homes in Central America and Puerto Rico, and the stems for weaving hats.
It is not considered good as forage in Mexico. Some sources say it is grazed readily by cattle. Others suggest it is unpalatable to cattle, e.g. in Argentina and in Papua New Guinea.
Photo by Stephen Ramirez, iNaturalist
Digitaria californica on SEINET
The name Digitaria comes from the Latin word digitus, which means "finger". This refers to the finger-like seed heads of the plant. The species, insularis, comes from the Latin word insula, which means "island" or "of or belonging to an island". This species has very spotty distribution, almost like little islands wherever it grows and this may have influenced the naming of the species. It is also found on islands in the Caribbean.
Found in open or partially shaded rocky slopes and low, gravelly plains from 3,000-4,000 ft. This relatively rare perennial grass is found at middle elevations in the sky island mountain ranges of southern Arizona. Outside arizona it is found in the southern United States in Florida, thorugh Texas. It is also found throughout Mexico, the West Indies, and Central America south to Argentina.
This is a somewhat taller, upright growing grass species. Photo by Sarah Kulis, iNaturalist
Detail of the fuzzy seedheads. Photo by Steve Jones, iNaturalist
Occasionally there are solid stands of this wonderful grass. Photo by Andrea Adams-Morden, iNaturalist