400 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



panicle is shown, the spikelets in two rows, stalkless, 

 flattened, spreading when open. 



Fingered Panic Grass {Panicum sanguinale). 



As the panicles turn a reddish colour the specific 

 name is rather appropriate. The name Fingered 

 Panic Grass refers to the digitate character of the 

 inflorescence. The name Panicum was given by 

 Linnaeus, and is derived from panis, bread, as the 

 fruit of some species has been used for this purpose. 



This is not a common plant in the British Isles, 

 being found in the South of England only as an 

 introduced weed of cultivation. 



Waste places, ballast-heaps, etc., form the habitat 

 of this Finger-grass, which occurs with Canary 

 Grass, Maize, Bristle Grass, Wild Oat, etc. 



Grass-like in habit, the stems are spreading or 

 creeping below, and become erect or ascending. 

 The leaves are flat, smooth, or hairy, erect. The 

 sheath also is hairy. 



The flowers are in a panicle, with two to six slender, 

 simple branches arranged in a digitate manner, 

 spreading from a common centre or nearly so, at the 

 top of the flower-stalk. The spikelets are in pairs on 

 one side, one without stalks, the other shortly- 

 stalked. The first glume is diminutive, the second 

 hollow, half the length of the third, which is more or 

 less flat and five-nerved. The flowering glume is of 

 the same length. There is no awn. The lodicules 



