Witchgrass
Panicum capillare
Observed in Aug 2009 along Mesquite Wash, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA.
ANNUAL: Most plants are less than 1 meter
tall.
INFLORESCENCE: Numerous, very small spikelets are dispersed on long,
thin, but stiff pedicels. Flowering is from mid spring depending on available
water.
LEAVES: Blades are about 1 to 2 cm
wide and 20 cm long. The ligule and leaf are mostly hirsute. The top of
the leaf may feel soft-hairy or rough-hairy.
RANGE: In the Sonoran Desert this grass is found mostly in disturbed
habitats with plenty of moisture. Terraces and flood zones in riparian habitat.
Found across North America.
FRUIT: The last bract or lemma around the seed is shiny. There are no
awns on the spikelets.
UNARMED