Panicum antidotale

Retz.

Blue Panic Grass, Giant Panic Grass, Little Millet

PoaceaeSeeds/Nuts

fodderfood

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal

One report notes the plant is edible but gives no further details; this most likely refers to the seed.

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant and also grows in temperate places. It grows on sand and sand dunes and on undulating plains. It grows in desert regions. It can grow in salty soils. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. Western Rajasthan.

Afghanistan, Africa, Arabia, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, Colombia, Congo, East Africa, Egypt, Europe, Fiji, France, Himalayas, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Marianas, Mexico, Middle East, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, UAE, USA, West Africa, Yemen, Zimbabwe,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, Fiji, Micronesia, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Northern Mariana Islands, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Palau, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Tonga, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A perennial millet grass. It has underground stems or rhizomes. It grows up to 3 m tall. It is woody. The leaf blades are 6-30 cm long and 4-14 mm wide. They are flat and have a sharp point. The flowers are green.

How to Grow

We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The plant has strong spreading rhizomes. It has been experimentally planted for forage in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and California. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse, barely covering it. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out seedlings into trays or individual pots and plant out after the last expected frosts.

Medicinal Uses

Smoke from the burning plant is used to fumigate wounds and as a disinfectant in the treatment of smallpox.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

Panicum antidotale is a perennial grass growing to 3 m tall. The hermaphroditic plant is wind-pollinated. It adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage across mildly acidic to basic pH ranges. The plant requires full sun and prefers moist soil.

Other Information

It is a famine food. It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 500 Panicum species.

Names & Synonyms

Bangagli, Banwari, Blue Panicgrass, Dhusdo, Dhusghas, Gamna, Ghamur, Gharam, Girni, Git, Gramna, Gunara, Male, Meneri, Nassiam pillu, Pinisu pillu

Chasea prolifera (Lam.) Nieuwl.Panicum miliare Lam.Panicum proliferum Lam.

References (14)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 424
Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 17
Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org
Gangwar, A. K. & Ramakrishnan, P. S., 1990, Ethnobotanical Notes on Some Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeastern India. Economic Botany, Vol. 44, No. 1 pp. 94-105 (As Panicum miliare)
INFOODSUpdatedFGU-list.xls (As Panicum miliare)
Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 181
Observ. bot. 4:17. 1786-1787
Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 111
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 3rd June 2011]
SHANKARNARAYAN & SAXENA,
Wilson, J.M. & Witcombe, J.R., Crops for Arid lands, in Wickens, G.E., Goodin, J.R., and Field, D.V.,(Eds.) 1985, Plants for Arid Lands. Unwin Hyman, London, p 39
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Zeven, A. C. & de West, J. M. J., 1982, Dictionary of cultivated plants and their regions of diversity. Wageningen. p 74