''Panicum amarum'' is a species of

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

known by the common name bitter panicum. It is native to North America, where it is found in coastal regions along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the United States and into northeastern Mexico. It also occurs in

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

and in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

.''Panicum amarum''.
Grass Manual Treatment. This perennial grass grows from a thick

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. It has stems up to 2.5 meters tall and 1 centimeter thick. It may grow erect or bent over. The thick, firm leaves are up to half a meter long. They are bluish in color.''Panicum amarum''.
USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a narrowed

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

up to 80 centimeters long by 17 wide. Some seed is produced but most reproduction is

vegetative Vegetative describes vegetation. Vegetative may also refer to: *Vegetative reproduction Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in ...

, with new plants sprouting from tillers and the rhizome.''Panicum amarum''.
USDA NRCS Plant Guide. This grass is commonly used for

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

stabilization projects.Hester, M. W., et al. (1994)
Grazing of ''Panicum amarum'' in a Louisiana barrier island dune plant community: Management implications for dune restoration projects.
''Ocean & Coastal Management'' 23(3) 213-24. It is used to prevent

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...

.Learning about bitter panicum.
LSU Coastal Roots. The aboveground plant parts act as a windbreak, preventing the sand from being blown away, and the large root system stabilizes the sand in place. It can also be used in revegetation projects at other areas, such as mine spoils. Specifically, var. ''amarulum'' is valuable for these projects. The roots grow six feet deep. The

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

'Atlantic' is available.''Panicum amarum'' var. ''amarulum''.
USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet. A cultivar of ''P. amarum'' called 'Dewey Blue' is also used for

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

purposes.'Dewey Blue'.
Missouri Botanical Garden.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7131124

amarum In the mythology of the Quechua people of Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (embl ...

Grasses of North America Grasses of Mexico Grasses of the United States Flora of Cuba Flora of Northeastern Mexico Flora of the Southeastern United States Native grasses of Texas