Panicum capillare

Panicum capillare
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Panicum
Species: P. capillare
Binomial name
Panicum capillare
Synonyms

Panicum barbipulvinatum

Panicum capillare, known by the common name witchgrass,[1] is a species of grass. It is native plant to most of North America from the East Coast through all of the West Coast and California. It can be found as an introduced species in Eurasia, and as a weed in gardens and landscaped areas.[2] It grows in many types of habitat.

Description

Panicum capillare is an annual bunchgrass growing decumbent or erect to heights exceeding one meter (3 feet). It is green to blue- or purple-tinged in color. In texture it is quite hairy, especially on the leaves and at the nodes. The ligule is a fringe of long hairs.

The inflorescence is a large open panicle which may be over half the total length of the plant, up to half a meter long. At maturity it fans out, spreading to a width over 20 centimeters. As the plant dies and dries, the panicle may break off whole and becomes a tumbleweed.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Panicum capillare". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. ↑ Virginia Tech Weed Profile
  3. ↑ Grass Manual Treatment Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.