blue panicum
(Panicum antidotale)
This species is Introduced in the United States
ORIGIN: Asia
GROWTH TRAITS: Perennial, sod-forming grass growing 8-10’ tall (2½-3 m) from a rhizomatous root system. Older plants are typically bush-like with multiple branches and a tough, knotty base. Leaves are light blue-green with swollen nodes. Leaf blades are 6-12” long (15-30 cm), smooth (without hair), and with obvious midveins obvious on the underside. Ligules have tiny hairs. The inflorescence is open and erect, but slightly droopy at maturity. It occurs on stalk tips from April to December. Inflorescences are typically up to 1’ long (30 cm). Flowers are yellow-green and often shiny. Mature seeds are brown and shiny.
REPRODUCTION: By seed and vegetatively through rhizomes. Seeds remain viable in the soil for many years.
HABITAT: Found in open, disturbed sites including roadsides, fields, irrigated pastures, and along irrigation waterways.
LOOK-ALIKES: Several native and exotic grasses may resemble blue panicgrass, the most similar being other species in the genus Panicum, including the native fall panicgrass (Panicum dichotomiflorum). Those overlapping the range of blue panicgrass differ by typically being summer annuals rather than sod-forming perennials. They can be further differentiated from blue panicgrass and from each other by differences in their inflorescence size and structure, as well as the size or presence of hairs on leaves or leaf parts.
CITATIONS:
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzlander. 2014. New Invaders of the Southwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/14767.pdf
GROWTH TRAITS: Perennial, sod-forming grass growing 8-10’ tall (2½-3 m) from a rhizomatous root system. Older plants are typically bush-like with multiple branches and a tough, knotty base. Leaves are light blue-green with swollen nodes. Leaf blades are 6-12” long (15-30 cm), smooth (without hair), and with obvious midveins obvious on the underside. Ligules have tiny hairs. The inflorescence is open and erect, but slightly droopy at maturity. It occurs on stalk tips from April to December. Inflorescences are typically up to 1’ long (30 cm). Flowers are yellow-green and often shiny. Mature seeds are brown and shiny.
REPRODUCTION: By seed and vegetatively through rhizomes. Seeds remain viable in the soil for many years.
HABITAT: Found in open, disturbed sites including roadsides, fields, irrigated pastures, and along irrigation waterways.
LOOK-ALIKES: Several native and exotic grasses may resemble blue panicgrass, the most similar being other species in the genus Panicum, including the native fall panicgrass (Panicum dichotomiflorum). Those overlapping the range of blue panicgrass differ by typically being summer annuals rather than sod-forming perennials. They can be further differentiated from blue panicgrass and from each other by differences in their inflorescence size and structure, as well as the size or presence of hairs on leaves or leaf parts.
CITATIONS:
Winston, R.L., Andreas, J.E., Milan, J., DesCamp, W., Randell, C.B., and M. Schwarzlander. 2014. New Invaders of the Southwest. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team. FHTET-2014-12. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/files/14767.pdf
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Lilianae |
| Order: Poales |
| Family: Poaceae |
| Subfamily: Panicoideae |
| Tribe: Paniceae |
| Genus: Panicum |
| Panicum antidotale |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.