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Panicum whitei J.M. Black |
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Graminae Pepper grass (Australia), sugar grass, pigeon grass. A leafy annual growing rapidly after rain to 120 cm; culms geniculate, branched, erect, usually slender, shiny; nodes three to five, internodes often angular and shallowly grooved. All mainland Australian states except Victoria. Early spring and summer rains germinate the seed. 100-150 m. It occurs in the 300-500 mm annual rainfall belt, but grows only in the moister areas. Its early seeding allows it to escape drought. It occurs naturally on brown, black or grey clays, which have been seasonally inundated and are drying; also on red earth. It spreads readily from annual seeding.Suitability for hay and silage Satisfactory hay and silage has been made from the grass.Value as a standover or deferred feed It will stand as dry standing hay for over 12 months during the dry season, if rain does not fall to encourage mould growth. It has been mentioned as a cause of photosensitization in sheep.Optimum temperature for growth 25-35°C. 26-28°S. Its palatability is variable; in general it is palatable and subject to preferential grazing. It seems to be more palatable when it is dry.Chemical analysis and digestibility Contains almost 20 percent protein in seedling stage, 7.5 percent in the dry matter at maturity and 5 percent in the dry hay stage (Allen, 1949). Lightly-flooded plains on the edges of the Channel Country in Queensland, Australia. It tolerates shallow seasonal flooding. It occurs usually on soils reasonably high in phosphorus.Seed production and harvesting It produces an abundance of seed and matures quickly. It could be harvested by direct heading. It is an important component of the annual grasses which grow quickly after summer flooding of some 3 million hectares of Channel Country by the Georgina, Diamantina and Bulloo rivers and Cooper's Creek in Queensland.Grass genera of the world: Information about botany, ecology etc. of the panicum genus; links to photographs of different species Whitehouse, Ogilvie & Skerman, 1947. |