G.455. Panicum L.

Description of the genus

Annuals or perennials. Leaves: lamina variable, from linear to ovate. Inflorescence a panicle, usually much branched, but occasionally ± contracted about the primary branches. Spikelets dorsally flattened, rarely slightly gibbous; lower glume usually shorter than (rarely equal to) the spikelet; upper glume as long as, the spikelet, often with a stipe-like internode between the glumes; lower floret male or barren; its lower lemma resembling the upper glume; upper lemma crustaceous; margin involute and clasping only the edges of the palea. A generally recognisable genus but the following could be confused with it: Brachiaria deflexa, Eriochloa meyeriana, Tricholaena monachne.

Worldwide: 500 species or more in tropical and warm temperate zones

Botswana: 29 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Achaea echo (Echo moth)
Borbo fatuellus (Long-horned swift)
No image yet

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
arcurameum StapfSEDescription
atrosanguineum A. Rich.NDescription
bechuanense Bremek. & Oberm.N,SW,SEDescription
coloratum L. var. coloratum N,SW,SEDescription
deustum Thunb.Description
dregeanum NeesDescription, Image
fluviicola Steud.NDescription
funaense Vanderyst N
gilvum Launert[DD]NDescription
graniflorum StapfNDescription
heterostachyum Hack.NDescription, Image
hirtum Lam.N
hymeniochilum NeesNDescription
kalaharense MezN,SW,SEDescription
lanipes MezSW,SE
madipirense MezSEDescription
massaiense Mez
maximum Jacq.N,SWDescription, Image
merkeri MezDescription
miliaceum L.Description
novemnerve StapfDescription
parvifolium Lam. N
pilgerianum (Schweick.) Clayton[DD]N,SE
porphyrrhizos Steud.NDescription
repens L.NDescription
repentellum NapperNDescription
schinzii Hack.SEDescription
subalbidum KunthNDescription, Image
trichonode Launert & RenvoizeNDescription

Other sources of information about Panicum:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Panicum
Flora of Caprivi: Panicum
Flora of Malawi: Panicum
Flora of Mozambique: Panicum
Flora of Zambia: Panicum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Panicum
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Panicum

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Panicum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Panicum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Panicum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Panicum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Panicum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Panicum
JSTOR Plant Science: Panicum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Panicum
Plants of the World Online: Panicum
Tropicos: Panicum
Wikipedia: Panicum

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Genus page: Panicum.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=191, retrieved 4 December 2024

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