West Indian Panic Grass

Panicum diffusum Sw. Prodr. 23. 1788
Panicum caespititium Lam. Tab. Encyc. 1; 173. 1791.
Plants in small, dense tufts, spreading, or ascending from a decumbent base, simple or sparingly branching, rarely repeatedly branching, 25-50 cm. high; culms slender, wiry, glabrous, 223
the nodes appressed-pubescent ; leaf-sheaths shorter than the internodes, striate, glabrous, or pubescent along the margin toward the summit or the lower sparsely so throughout ; ligule about 1 mm. long; blades erect from the sheath but often spreading at the ends, 5-20 cm. long, 1-3 mm. wide, flat or drying subin volute, sparsely pilose on the upper surface, glabrous or sparingly pubescent beneath; panicles exserted, 5-10 cm. long, nearly as wide, the few capillary branches at first ascending, stiffly spreading at maturity, bearing a few short-pediceled spikelets toward the ends; spikelets 2.1-2.5 mm. long, about 1 mm. wide; first glume about half the length of the spikelet, acute, 5-nerved; second glume and sterile lemma 7-9-nerved; fruit 1.5-1.6 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, elliptic.
Type locality: Jamaica.
Distribution: Bahamas and the West Indies.