Panicum hemitomon Schult., maidencane (paille fine 1 ) 
DESCRIPTION 
Warm-season, rhizomatous perennial. 
Height : 2 to 6 feet. 
Leaf blade: 8 to 12 inches long; 1/2 inch wide; usually rough 
on upper side, smooth on lower; grows along stem. 
Leaf sheath : Rounded; overlapping; shorter than internodes; 
sheath around fertile seedstalk smooth ; sheath around ster- 
ile seedstalk hairy at base. 
Rhizomes: Numerous; long internodes 1/8 to 1/4 inch in 
diameter. 
Seedhead: Compact, elongated panicle 6 to 8 inches long. 
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 
Grows from late winter until fall. Produces seedheads in June 
and July. Dies back immediately after first frost, turning a charac- 
teristic gray. 
DISTRIBUTION 
Fresh-water marshes, swamps, moist areas, and road ditches in 
all Gulf Coast States and along the Atlantic coast as far north as 
New Jersey. 
SITE ADAPTATION 
Grows on a wide range of soils from firm mineral clays to float- 
ing organic soils. Tolerates practically no salt in free soil water. 
Grows best if water level fluctuates from 2 inches a^ove soil sur- 
face to 4 inches below. 
USE AND MANAGEMENT 
Maidencane is an important forage grass. It is occasionally har- 
vested for hay. On most sites, it produces 4 to 5 tons of high-qual- 
ity forage per acre. Chemical analysis of forage shows it is espe- 
cially high in crude protein. This grass becomes tougher and less 
palatable as it matures. 
For maximum production and feed quality, no more than 50 per- 
cent of current year’s growth by weight should be grazed off. 
Grazing should be rotated every 60 to 70 days during spring and 
summer and grazing deferred 90 to 100 days in fall every third 
year. On some marsh ranges in Louisiana, cattle walkways make 
large areas of this grass more accessible to cattle and improve 
grazing distribution. 
1 Paille fine is the accepted common name for this grass in Louisiana and 
east Texas. 
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