HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 



49a. Spikelets 3.5 mm. long or shorter; panicle branches slender, stiii. 

 Fig. 332. 



WITCH GRASS Panicum capUlare L. 



Annual; tufted; becoming bushy-branched, 

 often a meter or more tall; foUage soft; leaf 

 blades hairy on both surfaces, 5 — 15 mm. 

 wide; terminal panicles large, dome-shaped, 

 often more than half the length of the plant; 

 numerous axillary panicles also present; 

 bases of panicles usually hidden in the 

 sheaths; axils of main panicle branches bear- 

 ing tufts of hairs; panicles at maturity break- 

 ing away from the plant and rolling away 

 as tumbleweeds. This is one of the commonest 

 weedy grasses of fields and disturbed soil- 

 widespread in the United States. About eight 

 similar species are found in various parts of 

 the country, but are much less common. July 

 — October. 



Figure 332 



49b. Spikelets 4.5 mm. or more long; panicle branches stout, drooping. 

 Fig. 333. 

 BROOMCORN MILLET; PROSO MILLET 



Panicum miliaceum L. 



Annual; tufted; plants 20 — 100 cm. tall; foli- 

 age coarsely hairy or nearly smooth; leaf 

 blades up to 30 cm. long and 20 mm. wide; 

 panicles 10 — 30 cm. long, drooping, the 

 branches scabrous; spikelets 4.5 — 5 mm. long, 

 plump; fertile lemmas yellow, reddish, or 

 brown. Proso is grown sparingly in the 

 United States for forage, hog feed, and bird 

 seed. The plants occur as strays on waste 

 ground. Proso is probably native to Asia. 

 It is cultivated in the Orient, and to a lesser 

 extent in Europe. It is supposed to be one 

 of the most ancient of cultivated crops, and 

 was known to the Romans under the name 

 of Milium, whence comes our word millet. 

 July — September. 



Figure 333 



173 



