Panicum antidotale
Plants perennial; cespitose, rhizomatous, rhizomes about 1 cm thick, knotted, pubescent, with large, scalelike leaves. Culms 50-300 cm tall, 2-4 mm thick, often compressed, erect or ascending, hard, becoming almost woody; nodes swollen, glabrous or pubescent; internodes glabrous, glaucous. Sheaths not keeled, shorter than or equal to the internodes, glabrous or the lower sheaths at least partially pubescent, hairs papillose-based; ligules 0.3-1.5 mm; blades 10-60 cm long, 3-20 mm wide, elongate, flat, abaxial surfaces and margins scabrous, adaxial surfaces occasionally pubescent near the base, with prominent, white midveins, bases rounded to narrowed. Panicles 10-45 cm, to 1/2 as wide as long, open or somewhat contracted, with many spikelets; branches 4-12 cm, opposite or alternate, ascending to spreading; pedicels 0.3-2.5 mm, scabridulous to scabrous, appressed to diverging less than 45° from the branch axes. Spikelets 2.4-3.4 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, ellipsoid-lanceoloid to narrowly ovoid, often purplish, glabrous, acute. Lower glumes 1.4-2.2 mm, 1/3 – 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 3-5-veined, obtuse; upper glumes and lower lemmas subequal, glabrous, 5-9-veined, margins scarious, acute; lower florets staminate; upper florets 1.8-2.8 mm long, 0.9-1.1 mm wide, smooth, lustrous, acute. 2n = 18, 36.
Distribution
N.Mex., Tex., Utah, Calif., Ala., N.C., S.C., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Ariz., Fla.
Discussion
Panicum antidotale is native to India. It is grown in the Flora region as a forage grass, primarily in the southwestern United States. It is now established in the region, being found in open, disturbed areas and fields.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
"decumbent" is not a number."varying" is not a number.