Common name: Witchgrass
Panicum capillare L. APNI* 
Description: Hairy tufted annual to 0.8 m high.
Leaves with sheath hirsute with tubercle-based hairs; ligule membranous at the base, ciliate above, to c. 1 mm long; blade 5–18 mm wide, with tubercle-based hairs.
Panicle 10–30 cm long, partly exserted, becoming detached from the culm and wind-dispersed, pedicels c. 8–20 mm long. Spikelets 2–3.3 mm long, glabrous, ± laterally compressed. Lower glume <50% the length of the spikelet, oblate-triangular, acute, 1–5-nerved; upper as long as the spikelet, attenuate and acute to acuminate beyond the fertile floret, 7–9–nerved. Lower lemma sterile, similar to the upper glume, palea membranous, or absent. Upper lemma elliptic, c. 1.5–2 mm long, pale, very faintly striolate, otherwise smooth and shining, sometimes obscurely 7-nerved.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in disturbed ground. Native of N Amer. & India.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP, *NC
Other Australian states: *Vic. *W.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the varieties | |
| 1 | Spikelets 2–2.5 mm long; fertile floret c. 1.5–2 mm long; plants hispid | var. capillare |
| Spikelets c. 3 mm long; fertile floret c. 1.75–2.2 mm long; plants less hairy | var. occidentale |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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