Panicum antidotale Retz., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Panicum miliare Lam.; Panicum proliferum Lam.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Texas grass, blue panic, blue panic grass, blue panicum, giant panic grass

French: panic bleu

Spanish: Pánico azul

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Rhizomatous perennials 50-200 cm tall; culms often branched.  Ligule a ciliate membrane, 0.5-1 mm long; blades 10-50 cm long, 0.4-2 cm wide, flat, glabrous.  Panicles 10-45 cm long; spikelets 2.6-3.5 mm long, ovoid, acute, glabrous, the margins of the glumes and first lemma hyaline; first glume 1.4-1.9 mm long, 1/2 - 2/3 as long as spikelet, acute, 5-nerved, second glume 5-7-nerved; first palea as long as first lemma; second floret 2.3-2.8 mm long, acute, glossy, smooth; anthers 1.7-2 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1567).

"Perennial, with culms 75-120 cm high; rootstock villous, hairy, stout, creeping, sending out hairy, extravaginal stolons; leaf blades 15-25 cm long, 3-6 mm broad, tapering to a fine point; spikelets crowded, often purple-tinged, glabrous, 2.5-3 mm long, the lower floret neuter"  (Smith, 1979; p. 346).

Description of Panicum antidotale from GrassBase

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in dry, disturbed areas such as pastures and along roadsides, 0-825 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1567).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Native from Iran to India, widely introduced in tropical areas as a forage plant"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1567).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	probably introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 51) Listed as native; however, given its native range, more likely introduced.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 346) Vouchers cited: DA 8569, DA 11310, DA 10152, DA 8336, DA 8337 Introduced as a pasture grass and naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1567) Voucher cited: Ewart III 202 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2003) (p. 30) West Maui: voucher cited: Starr & Martz 001209-1; East Maui: voucher cited: Starr & Martz 020117-1 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2004) (p. 27) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Martz 020201-1 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1567)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1567)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 75)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Panicum antidotale, please let us know.