Panicum

Scientific name

Panicum L.

Common names

Panicgrass

Family

Poaceae

Native distribution

cosmopolitan, except in cold regions

Species cultivated

(three species plus numerous cultivated hybrids and varieties)

Panicum acuminatum Sw.

P. amarum Elliott

P. virgatum L.

Adventive distribution

worldwide

Weed status

Panicum repens L. is a noxious weed.

Habit

amphibious amphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
to semi-aquatic, floating or emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
grass

Brief description

Creeping to floating grass. Sometimes stoloniferous or rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
; erect or ascending; culms simple or sparsely branching. Leaf sheaths glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to hirsute; ligules ciliateciliate:
(adj) with a marginal fringe of stiff hairs
or membranous. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, erect ascending or spreading; blades linear to oblong-lanceolate, flat to involuteinvolute:
(adj) rolled inwards (usually of leaves)
; glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or variously pilose, less often scabrousscabrous:
(adj) of a surface, rough to the touch due to presence of short stiff hairs
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
; base round to cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
; margins smooth, scabrousscabrous:
(adj) of a surface, rough to the touch due to presence of short stiff hairs
, papillosepapillose:
(adj) bearing papillae
or ciliateciliate:
(adj) with a marginal fringe of stiff hairs
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
and axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
panicle, open or sometimes contracted. Spikelets solitary or paired, pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
, rarely sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
; distributed along branch or clustered towards tips; lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
or oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
, dorsally compressed; glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or puberulentpuberulent:
(adj) minutely pubescent
; florets 2. Lower glume ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
to oblateoblate:
(adj) almost spherical but compressed at poles
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
to obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
, 1-9-veined, membranous; upper glume ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
to obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
, or acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
, 3-11-veined, glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
to pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, membranous.

Natural habitat

moist to wet ground along wetlands, streams, rivers, ponds, lagoons, lakes; in shallow water, marshes, swamps, bogs, and inundated areas