Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Panicum capillare
witchgrass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Moist and irrigated areas, along streams and around ponds.

Flowers: June-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Description:
General:

Annual, branching from the base, the culms erect to decumbent, 2-7 dm. tall, copiously covered with soft hairs 2-4 mm. long.

Leaves:

Sheaths open; articulation below the glumes; ligules composed of straight hairs 1.5-2 mm. long; blades 5-12 mm. broad.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a diffusely-branched panicle 1-3 dm. long. often partially included in the uppermost sheath; spikelets 2-flowered, 2.5-3 mm. long; first glume 3-nerved, half as long and the spikelet; second glume 7-nerved, about as long as the lower lemma, which is sterile and 9-nerved, both well exceeding and enclosing the fertile lemma and palea.

Accepted Name:
Panicum capillare L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. [Linnaeus] 1: 58. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Infraspecies:
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Panicum capillare in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Panicum capillare checklist entry

OregonFlora: Panicum capillare information

E-Flora BC: Panicum capillare atlas page

CalPhotos: Panicum capillare photos

38 photographs:
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