Species Pangola grass/Digit grass (Digitaria eriantha)
General description Very diverse species, tufted perennial with or without extended stolons or as a continuous stoloniferous sward, late spring, summer, autumn growing grass - warm season/sub tropical to tropical (C4) Cultivars Digitaria has many cultivars - Premier and Pangola and Apollo are in tropical regions of Australia - see fact sheets below for these and others Uses Pasture, hay or silage Country of origin/native to Africa Now also grows in Australia (QLD, NSW) Advantages for horses Contains low levels of oxalate and therefore has low risk of causing oxalate-related animal health problems, persistent under heavy grazing, it will continue to produce new leaf in winter where there is sufficient moisture, although leaves can be frosted. Good tolerance to cold and drought Disadvantages for horses It has an unusually high sugar content for a tropical grass, and is very digestible - need more information about this! Digestibility for horses To be ascertained Palatability to horses Medium to high Environmental advantages Will effectively control erosion, good for weed control, well adapted to low rainfall environments Environmental disadvantages Competitive of other grasses but not considered a serious weed.
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