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

Mozambique: 42 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Achaea echo (Echo moth)
Borbo fatuellus (Long-horned swift)
Panicum maximum

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
brazzavillense Franch.NDescription
brevifolium L.MSDescription
carneovaginatum Renvoize MS
coloratum L. var. coloratum MS,GI,MDescription
comorense Mez N,Z,MS,M
deustum Thunb.N,GI,MDescription
dregeanum NeesMSDescription, Image
ecklonii NeesMSDescription
eickii MezMSDescription
fluviicola Steud.N,MDescription
glandulopaniculatum RenvoizeZ,MSDescription
gracilicaule RendleNDescription
graciliflorum Rendle N
graniflorum StapfZDescription
hanningtonii Stapf MS
heterostachyum Hack.Description, Image
hymeniochilum NeesMSDescription
inaequilatum Stapf & C.E. Hubb.MSDescription
infestum Andersson ex PetersN,MS,MDescription
kalaharense MezMDescription
laticomum NeesN,MSDescription
lindleyanum Steud. Z
madipirense MezMSDescription
massaiense Mez Z
maximum Jacq.N,Z,T,MS,GI,MDescription, Image
merkeri MezMSDescription
monticola Hook. f.MSDescription, Image
mueense VanderystMS
natalense Hochst.MSDescription
parvifolium Lam. N,MS,M
peteri Pilg.MSDescription
phragmitoides StapfNDescription
pilgeri MezN
pleianthum PeterMS,GI
poaeoides StapfTDescription
porphyrrhizos Steud.NDescription
repens L.N,Z,MSDescription
subalbidum KunthMS,MDescription, Image
subflabellatum StapfMS,GI,M
trichocladum Hack. ex K. Schum.N,Z,MSDescription
trichoides Sw.N,MSDescription
wiehei RenvoizeZDescription

Other sources of information about Panicum:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Panicum
Flora of Caprivi: Panicum
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Panicum
Flora of Malawi: 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 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Genus page: Panicum.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=191, retrieved 19 March 2024

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