FALL PANICUM, Panicum dichotomiflorum
Michx. 1, lower part of plant showing root system; 2,
panicle; 3, section of stem; 4, seed; 5, seed with
hull. Annual with fibrous roots, reproducing by seeds. Stems
20 to 50 inches (0.5 to 1.3 m) long, smooth, spreading, often partly flat
on the ground. Lower nodes swollen, often rooting. Leaves smooth
or sparsely hairy. Leaf sheaths heavy, short, smooth, loose, often purplish.
Panicle more compact and shorter than that of witchgrass. Seeds
about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) long, yellow, smooth, dull, readily separated
from hulls when ripe. Found in gardens, cultivated fields, waste
places, and low areas. Often common in corn and soybean fields in the fall.