Panicum antidotale

Panicum antidotale is part of the catalog of ayurvedic medicinal plants of Sri Lanka.

Blue panic (Panicum antidotale Retz.) is a vigorous, tufted perennial grass that can reach 1.5 m to 3 m high (Ecocrop, 2011; FAO, 2011; Surhone et al., 2010). It is deeply rooted and develops from short, thick and somewhat bulbous rhizomes (FAO, 2011; Partridge, 2003). Its stems are erect, hard, almost woody, swollen at the base, looking like sugarcane stems (Freckmann, 2011). The leaves are smooth, bluish (hence the name blue panic), 15-30 cm long x 4-12 mm wide (Freckmann, 2011; Quattrocchi, 2006). The sheaths are 4-8 cm long and glabrous (Freckmann, 2011).

The inflorescence is a 13-30 cm long panicle with 3 mm long spikelets borne on 2.5 mm long woody stalks (FAO, 2011; Freckmann, 2011). Panicum antidotale is mainly used for fodder and grain production. Several cultivars are commercially available (FAO, 2011).

Synonyms

Panicum miliare Lam., Panicum proliferum Lam.

Common names

Blue panic, blue panic grass, giant panic grass

Family

POACEAE

Description

Rhizomatous perennial, reduced sheaths on the rhizome densely brownish pilose, culms 50 - 200 cm tall, erect or decumbent at the lower nodes, commonly branched in age, becoming somewhat woody in the lower part, nodes glabrous or pubescent, swollen, sheaths slightly keeled, entirely glabrous or pubescent; ligule a ciliate membrane; blades 10 - 50 cm X 4 - 20 mm, flat, scabrous or glabrous. Panicle 10 - 45 cm long, branches ascending to spreading. Spikelets elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous, purplish; lower glume ovate, acute, 5-nerved; upper glume as long as the spikelet, 5 - 7 nerved, margins hyaline.