Panicum miliaceum

Plants annual; sometimes branching from the lower nodes. Culms 20-210 cm, stout, not woody; nodes puberulent; internodes usually with papillose-based hairs, sometimes nearly glabrous, not succulent. Leaves numerous; sheaths terete, densely pilose, with papillose-based and caducous hairs; ligules membranous, ciliate, cilia 1-3 mm; blades 15-40 cm long, 7-25 mm wide. Panicles 6-20 cm long, 4-11 cm wide, included or shortly exserted at maturity, dense; branches stiff, appressed to spreading, spikelets solitary, confined to the distal portions; pedicels 1-9 mm, scabrous and sparsely pilose. Spikelets 4-6 mm, ovoid, usually glabrous. Lower glumes 2.8-3.6 mm, 1/2 - 3/4 as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined, veins scabridulous distally, apices attenuate; upper glumes 4-5.1 mm, slightly exceeding the upper florets, 11-13(15)-veined, veins scabridulous distally; lower florets sterile; lower lemmas 4-4.8 mm, slightly exceeding the upper florets, 9-13-veined, veins scabridulous distally; lower paleas 1.2-1.6 mm, 1/2 or less the length of the upper florets, truncate to bilobed; upper florets 3-3.8 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, smooth or striate, more or less shiny, stramineous to orange, red-brown, or blackish, persisting in the spikelets or disarticulating at maturity. 2n = 36, 40, 42, 49, 54, 72.

Distribution

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Idaho, Mont., Wash., Conn., N.J., N.Y., Va., Del., D.C, Wis., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Mass., Maine, N.H., R.I., Vt., Fla., Wyo., N.Mex., Tex., La., N.C., Tenn., Ind., Pa., Virgin Islands, Nev., Puerto Rico, Colo., Ariz., Ga., Iowa, Ill., Kans., Ky., Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., N.Dak., Nebr., Ohio, Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Calif., Ala., Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. And Labr. (Labr.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Miss.

Discussion

Panicum miliaceum is native to Asia, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. In the Flora region, it is grown for bird seed and is occasionally planted for game birds. It is also found in corn fields and along roadsides. In Asia, P. miliaceum is still grown for fodder and as a cereal, its fast germination and short growth period enabling it to be sown following a spring crop. It also has one of the lowest water requirements of any cereal grain.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Panicum miliaceum subsp. miliaceum, Panicum miliaceum subsp. ruderale

Key

1	Mature upper florets blackish, disarticulating at maturity; culms 70-210 cm tall; panicles erect, exserted at maturity, about twice as long as wide; panicle branches ascending to spreading; pulvini well-developed	Panicum miliaceum subsp. ruderale
1	Mature upper florets stramineous to orange, not disarticulating; culms 20-120 cm tall; panicles usually nodding, not fully exserted, more than twice as long as wide; panicle branches ascending to appressed; pulvini almost absent	Panicum miliaceum subsp. miliaceum