G89 



PANICGRASSES 



Pa'nicum spp. 



Panicum, the largest of all grass genera, includes approximately 500 species, 

 distributed chiefly in the warmer regions of both hemispheres. Hitchcock 

 and Chase 1 list 157 species and 5 varieties as occurring in the United States, 

 with the center of distribution in the Southeast. Although about 30 species 

 grow in the 11 far Western States only 1 species, cushion witchgrass (P. barbi- 

 p-ulvina' 'turn) , occurs in all the Western States. The panic grasses are more 

 typical of the warmer parts of the West, with approximately 17 species 

 occurring in both Arizona and New Mexico, and 13 in California. The number 

 of species found in the other Western States is considerably less, Utah having 

 seven ; Nevada, six ; Colorado, five ; Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, 

 four each ; and Wyoming, three. 



In the range country, the panicgrasses are more common and abundant 

 in the Southwest, where they are of material importance as range plants, 

 although abundantly only in local areas. The panicgrasses vary in palatability 

 from practically worthless to good or even, in some instances, very good. In 

 general, the larger species become coarse and tough as they approach maturity, 

 and are chiefly valuable as spring and early summer forage, while the growth 

 is still succulent and tender. The palatability of the western species, as a 

 whole, probably averages fair to fairly good for cattle and horses, and poor 

 to fair for sheep and goats, at least for spring and early summer use. 



The panic grasses belong to the millet tribe (Paniceae), Panicum being the 

 Latin name for millet. For the most part, members of the Panicum genus 

 are easily recognized, as the stalks of the individual flower group (spikelets) 

 are jointed below the lower two spikelet bracts (glumes), so that the entire 

 spikelet falls intact. Furthermore, the glumes are usually very unequal, the 

 lower one being generally about half as long as the second. However, in 

 some .speciesi, the lower glume is minute and, in a very few instances, is 

 nearly as long as the second glume. The spikelets usually appear to be one- 

 flowered, but actually are two-flowered, as in addition to an upper seed-pro- 

 ducing flower, a more or less rudimentary flower consisting of a bract, known 

 as the sterile lemma, also occurs and often encloses a male flower. The 

 sterile lemma is generally about as long as the upper glume. The leaves are 

 mostly flat, frequently hairy, and often have broad, heart-shaped bases, al- 

 though this feature is variable. The heads vary from broad and open to narrow 

 and spikelike panicles or (more rarely) are spikelike racemes. Some of the 

 panic grasses merit special discussion. 



A recent importation from Australia (P. antidota'le), which looks something 

 like Johnson grass, is palatable, and will thrive under almost drought condi- 

 tions. The plant is still in the experimental stage, but looks very promising, 

 especially in connection with erosion-control work in the Southwest." 



Maidencane (P. digitarioi'des, syn. P. wal'teri), native from Delaware to 

 Florida and Texas, is used extensively in the southeastern United States as a 

 binder along railway embankments. An aquatic or semiaquatie with exten- 

 sively creeping rootstocks, it sometimes becomes a pest in cultivated lands. 



Guinea grass (P. maa'imum), a native of Africa, is one of the most famous 

 of all tropical grasses. This long-lived perennial was early introduced into 

 the West Indies, incidentally with the slave trade. Piper 3 reports that it 

 was introduced as early asi 1756 into Jamaica and even then called Guinea 

 grass. In the United States it is adapted for cultivation only to a narrow 

 strip, extending from Florida to southern California. It has become naturalized 

 in some localities, especially in Florida. It probably has little potential value 

 as a western range grass. Under irrigation, in the warmer parts of the South- 

 west and California, Guinea grass probably would be a valuable forage crop, 

 as six to eight cuttings a year of excellent hay can be made. 



1 Hitchcock, A. S., and Chase, A. THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF PANICUM. U. S. 

 Natl. Mus., Contrib. U. S. Natl. Herbarium 15, 396 pp., illus. 1910. 



"Anonymous. FOREST SERVICE NURSERY GROWS UNUSUAL PLANTS. U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Clip Sheet 878 : 2. 1935. 



8 Piper, C. V. CULTIVATED GRASSES OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE. U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Farmers' Bull. 1433, 42 pp., illus. 1925. 



