Compilation
Panicum sphacelatum

perennial or annual; culms laxly fascicled, rarely densely tufted, usually geniculate, 1–1 1/2 ft. long, simple or scantily branched below, terete, glabrous or sometimes hirsute from tubercled-based hairs, 3–4-noded; sheaths terete or the lower slightly compressed, glabrous except at the villous nodes or hirsute from usually tubercled-based hairs; blades linear, long tapering to a subsetaceous point, 2–8 in. by 1–4 lin., rarely broader or narrower, flat, often spreading and rather flaccid, rarely convolute, glabrous or sometimes scantily hairy, rough above; panicle oblong to ovoid, lax or contracted, 3–6 in. long, straight or flexuous; rhachis slender, finely scaberulous; branches fascicled or 2-nate, finely filiform, undivided below or laxly branched almost from the base; branchlets and pedicels finely capillary, flexuous, glabrous or more or less hairy, scaberulous, tips thickened with long fine hairs (up to 2 lin. long); spikelets oblong, about 2 lin. long, villous from shining white or purple hairs, shortly bearded at the base; lower glume oblong, obtuse, about 1/2 lin. long, hyaline, almost hidden by hairs; upper equalling the spikelet, semi-ovate, more or less gibbous below the middle and slightly narrowed into an oblong beak, obtusely 2-lobed or emarginate, with or without a mucro or a short fine awn from the sinus, subchartaceous, often olive-brown, villous with the hairs increasing in length from the base to beyond the middle, then glabrous except the ciliate margins; hairs often springing from minute or sometimes coarse and partly confluent tubercles, adpressed or sometimes spreading, usually exceeding the tips of the glume; lower floret ♂ or barren; valve equal and very similar to the upper glume; pale more or less hairy; hermaphrodite floret 1 3/4 lin. long, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, glabrous; valve emarginate, faintly 5-nerved, membranous; anthers over 3/4 lin. long; grain obovoid, brown, 3/4 lin. long. null