Common Name: Blue Panic Grass

General Information

Panicum antidotale is a vigorous, tufted grass with blue-green leaves and a stout, creeping, stoloniferous rootstock. The stems are thin and wiry; the plant is bulbous at the base and grows 150 - 270cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild and used locally as a food and medicine. It is used in soil stabilization schemes and has sometimes been cultivated for its medicinal properties[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

W. Asia - Iran, Afghanistan; E. Asia - Himalayas from Pakistan to Nepal, and the Upper Gangetic Plain.

Habitat

Sand dunes and dry river beds[]. Found especially in desert regions in Pakistan[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm temperate to tropical regions. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 25°c, but can tolerate 9 - 31°c[]. It can be killed by temperatures of -1°c or lower[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 400 - 700mm, but tolerates 130 - 1,700mm[].
Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun[]. Prefers a heavy loam or dark clay soil high in lime, and does not do well on sandy soils that are acid or low in organic matter[]. The plant has a very deep root system, which enables it to withstand drought[].The plant can also tolerate temporary inundation of the soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5, tolerating 5.5 - 8.2[].
The plant has been recorded as becoming a weed in areas outside its native range[].
The plant is resistant to fire[].

Edible Uses

Seed[, ].

Medicinal

The smoke of the burning plant is used to fumigate wounds and as a disinfectant in the treatment of smallpox and throat infections[, ].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is said to be an excellent sand binder and is used for stabilizing soils[]. It is used extensively for erosion control in the flood plains of the United States, mainly to protect against wind erosion; it is not very effective for control of water erosion[].

Other Uses

Propagation

Seed - if seed is abundant, then sow in situ, otherwise sow in a nursery bed and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots and plant them out when large enough[, ].
Division of the clumps.

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