Panicum trichoides Sw., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: fa zhi ji

English: masher grass, small-flower panic grass, ticklegrass, tropical panicgrass

Spanish: cohitrillo fino, echitrillo fino, flumilla, ilusión, parachurcada

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annual grass.  The root is fibrous and the stem is decumbent, highly branched at the base, very thin and 30 to 50 centimeters tall.  The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, asymmetrical and the sheaths are longer than the internodes.  They are pubescent, 4 to 7 centimeters long and 8 to 15 millimeters wide.  The inflorescence is a diffuse panicle with capillary branches, 8 to 15 centimeters long.  In the vegetative stage it is sometimes mistaken for Commelina spp."  (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 43).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Annual grass commonly found in pastures and shaded perennial crops such as bananas"  (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 43).

Propagation:  Seed (Cardenas et al., 1972; p. 43).

Native range:  Mexico, Central and South America (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 38)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 38)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 38)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Panicum trichoides is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Panicum trichoides as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Panicum trichoides may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Cardenas, Juan/Reys, Carlos E./Doll, Jerry D./Pardo, Fernando. 1972. Tropical weeds; malezas tropicales, vol. 1. International Plant Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 341 pp.

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 142 pp. + plates.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).