Info
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Panicum = "belonging to bread" [Latin] refering to use by several species as cereal grains
Species etymology: tenuifolium = "narrow leaf" [Latin] refering to the leaf width
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
Collar
Description
Cespitose perennials 25-120 cm tall; culms unbranched, papillose-pilose, the nodes glabrous to pilose. Leaves primarily cauline; sheaths papillose-pilose; ligule a ciliate membrane, 0.3-1.1 mm long, the membrane rudimentary, up to 0.2 mm long, the cilia 0.2-1.1 mm long; blades 5-20 cm long, 0.1-0.5(-0.7) cm wide, usually loosely involute, sometimes mixed involute and flattened, or entirely flattened, papillosepilose or rarely glabrous, especially on lower surface. Panicles 5-30 cm long, terminal, the branches ascending to widely spreading, usually solitary, scabrid to pilose, the axils puberulent or pilose; spikelets 2.1-3.6 mm long, acute to acuminate, glabrous; glumes as long as spikelet, equal or first glume slightly longer or shorter than second glume, first glume 5-7-nerved, acuminate to acute, second glume 7-nerved, acute; first floret sterile, first lemma as long as or slightly shorter than glumes, 5-7- nerved, first palea 1/3-1/2 as long as first lemma; second floret 1.7-1.8 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, 0.4-0.8 mm shorter than first lemma, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, glossy, smooth; anthers 1-1.2 mm long.
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )