slimleaf panicgrass

Family

Poaceae

Scientific Name

Dichanthelium linearifolium

Other Common Names:

slim-leaved panic-grass

long-panicled panic-grass

Synonyms (former Scientific Names):

Panicum linearifolium

Dichanthelium linearifolium var. werneri

Dichanthelium perlongum

Dichanthelium depauperatum var. perlorgum

Panicum perlongum

Panicum strictum

Panicum werneri

Habit

This is a perennial grass that grows in a decumbent to upright habit (4 to 16 inches tall) and forms mats or clumps.

Leaves

They are 7 to 8 inches long and 1.5 to 5 mm wide. The upper surfaces can seem rough to the touch, while the lower surface can have soft or stiff hairs, and the margins are also rough. Leaf has a short hairy ligule (0.5 to 1.5 mm long).

Identifying Characteristics

Dichanthelium grasses can be difficult to separate into their species due to many similarities. This species grows in mats 4 to 16 inches tall. It has leaves that are 7 to 8 inches long and 1.5 to 5 mm wide. It has a short hairy ligule and light green in color. The upper and lower leaf surfaces can vary, but typically the upper surface lacks hair but is rough while the lower surface is mostly hairy. The sheaths can vary in hair characteristics, but are mostly hairy. The nodes are also hairy, while the internodes are smooth/hairless. Most Dichanthelium grasses have open panicles like this species.

Flower Seed Head

It has an open panicle that ranges from up to 2 in long and up to 1.5 in broad. The branches of the panicle are ascending and rough. The spikelets are 2.8 to 3.8 mm long.