Burke: Panicum capillare

	Panicum capillare
	witchgrass
Habit	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.

	Panicum capillare
Flowering time	June-September
Habitat	Moist and irrigated areas, along streams and around ponds.
Distribution	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. dichotomiflorum, P. miliaceum
Subordinate taxa	P. capillare ssp. capillare
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Panicum capillare

witchgrass

Habit

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.