Panicum urvilleanum
Kunth.
Poaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Desert Panicgrass
General Information
Panicum urvilleanum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
71- Title
- A California Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Munz P.A. & Keck D.D.
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Los Angeles
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
,
236- Title
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hitchcock. A. S.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1971
- ISBN
- 0-486-22717-0
- Description
- A nice and comprehensive flora, though a bit dated. Good line drawings of each plant, plus a brief idea of the habitat and a few notes on plant uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
Range
South-western N. America - California and Arizona. S. America - Peru, Chile, Argentina.
Habitat
Sandy places in deserts and creosote bush scrub in California[
71- Title
- A California Flora.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Munz P.A. & Keck D.D.
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Los Angeles
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Pollinators | Wind |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked or ground into a powder and used as a flour[
161- Title
- Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yanovsky. E.
- Publisher
- U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
- Year
-
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
,
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. The seed has a mild flavour and can be used like millet[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out the seedlings into trays or individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
