Coolah Grass - introduced (*Panicum coloratum)

Native to tropical Africa. Perennial.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Identification:

• the flower cluster is very open and spreading when mature
• the 1st glume is less than a third the length of the spikelet
• the 2nd glume is about equal in length of the spikelet
• the 1st lemma is sterile, the 2nd lemma is smaller and shiny
• the leaves are flat.

Coolah Grass differs from the other panics (in Victoria) in that the lower floret in each spikelet has anthers. In other panics the floret is empty. The upper floret is bisexual.

The flower branches are less widely divergent than in Hillmans Pan-grass. A similar grass, Rigid Panic (Walwhalleya proluta) differs in that its first glume is more than half the length of the spikelet.

Coolah Grass is sometimes planted as crop.

Panicum: Millet. coloratum: coloured.

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