Panicum capillare/hillmanii

Exotic/Invasive Panic Grass at Dunlop, ACT

Panicum capillare/hillmanii at Dunlop, ACT - 18 Mar 2020
Panicum capillare/hillmanii at Dunlop, ACT - 18 Mar 2020
Panicum capillare/hillmanii at Dunlop, ACT - 18 Mar 2020
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Identification history

Panicum capillare/hillmanii 25 Mar 2020 michaelb
Panicum capillare/hillmanii 25 Mar 2020 CathB

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User's notes

Huge infestation of this and other weeds all along this gully. Heavy runoff from the hailstorm of 20 January seems to have brought this grass from Cook horse paddocks. There are also large numbers along the roadside on Bindubi St and in the Mt Painter Wildflower Triangle.

4 comments

   27 Mar 2020
Cath - I also thought I saw a huge infestation on Dudley St grasslands but was unsure how to tell from Panicum effusum - have you got ant tips
Mike wrote:
   27 Mar 2020
NSW DPI 'Grasses of the NSW tablelands' says Panicum capillare is an annual with 5-18mm wide leaves and membranous ligules that have shortly-hairy tips while Panicum effusum is a perennial with 2-5mm wide leaves and hairy ligules.
CathB wrote:
   27 Mar 2020
I'd say the main difference is the hairiness. P. capillare/hillmanii (which we have been calling Witchgrass for convenience) is very hairy all over - leaf sheaths and both sides of the blades. It looks 'furry'. Most parts of P effusum are relatively smooth. Its hairs are shorter. The margins of effusum leaf blades have widely and regularly spaced hairs that have noticeable tubercles at the base. The hairs on the Witchgrass blades are much more crowded and irregular. If you look at the base of the plant, Witchgrass tends to have a lot of red-purple and is robust looking (although soft to the touch). P effusum is all green and is more gracile. And in general, Witchgrass is a paler green and the leaves are broader. Around here, the P effusum panicles have already spread, although they are still tightly bunched in Witchgrass (although they did open eventually last year).
   28 Mar 2020
Thanks Cath very helpful - the plants I saw at Dudley street seem to fit the description of Witchgrass except for the degree of hairiness can you please check the following sighting for me
Unidentified on 20 Mar 2020
Thanks

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 1,001 - 10,000 Abundance
  • 18 Mar 2020 01:02 PM Recorded on
  • CathB Recorded by

Additional information

  • True In flower
  • 10cm to 30cm Plant height

Species information

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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