Poaceae
Panicum

Panicum humile Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 84 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Old World. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect; slender; 18-70(-90) cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades tapering towards sheath; 7-20 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 5-15(-23) cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches straight, or flexuous; scaberulous; glabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5-2 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5-2 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume ovate; 0.5-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3(-5) -veined; acuminate. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 1-1.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.
Reference
Paniceae. =Panicum walense. FTEA.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Annual 30–60 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
A delicate bushy inflorescence
Ecology
Often forming a dense cover over shallow or disturbed sites on moist soils.
[FWTA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Slender annual with branching culms (15)20–60 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 7–20 cm. long ovate or ovate oblong, moderately to much branched, the branches often fine and tangled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.5–2 mm. long, ovate; inferior glume 1/2–3/4 the length of the spikelet, (1)3-nerved, acuminate or with an awn point; superior glume 3(5)-nerved,acuminate; inferior lemma 3(5)-nerved, sterile; superior lemma pale and glossy.
[FZ]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Slender annual; culms erect, branched, 18–70(–90) cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-sheaths occasionally ciliate on the margins; blades linear, 7–20 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, tapering at the base, flat, usually glabrous, acute or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle usually scarcely exserted from the uppermost leaf-sheath, ovate to oblong, 5–15(–23) cm. long, modestly branched, the branches scaberulous, not pilose, spreading or ascending, occasionally flexuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.5–2 mm. long, glabrous; lower glume 1/2–3/4 the length of the spikelet, ovate, (1–)3-nerved, acuminate, occasionally with a very short awn-point; upper glume ovate, 3–5-nerved, acuminate; lower lemma 3(–5)-nerved, sterile, its palea well developed; upper lemma pale and glossy.
Habitat
Damp situations on sandy soils in various types of vegetation; 775–1600 m.
Distribution
Senegal to Sudan and south to Zambia T6 T8
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0