Gramineae
Panicum fulgens auctt., non Stapf
Natal buffalo grass, Natal-buffelsgras (Afrikaans).
Panicoideae; Panicodae; Paniceae. There are about 370 species of Panicum found in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world.
Panicum natalense is endemic to southern Africa and is found in the highveld and eastern parts of South Africa from the mountains to the coast, in the northern and eastern parts of Zimbabwe and in Angola (Gibbs-Russell et al. 1991).
Panicum natalense is a short rhizomatous and tufted perennial that grows 500-800 mm tall. The leave blades are rolled, blue-green in colour, 500 mm long and up to 3.5 mm wide. The leaves are mainly basal and the plants have a knotty base. The culms are seldom erect, usually slanted. The leaf sheath is round and relatively thin. The inflorescence is an open panicle with green spikelets. Spikelets are 1.7-2.2 mm long and rounded in outline.
This is an unpalatable grass with hard, rolled leaves. It is only utilized early in the season after a fire when the leaves are still soft. Apparently preferred by oribis (Van Wyk & Van Oudtshoorn 1999). The large dense tufts are important in protecting the soil in mountain grassland from erosion.
Chromosome base number, n = 7,9 and 10.
C3 photosynthetic pathway.
None reported and considered to be non-toxic.
Grows in open mountain grassland, one of only two Panicum species to do so, the others all occurring in woodland often in the shade of shrubs and trees. Despite being unpalatable, it decreases in rangeland that is over grazed (Van Wyk & Van Oudtshoorn 1999). Often grows on stony slopes in grassland that is regularly burnt.
Grows in well drained sandy and sand-loam soils, as well as gravely soils.
Not propagated. Grows from seed in natural vegetation.
Flowers in summer to late summer (October to April).
None known
Moderate production
Gibbs-Russell, G. E. Watson, L., Koekemoer, M., Smook, L. Barker, N. P.., Anderson, H. M., Dallwitz, M.J. 1991. Grasses of southern africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa, No. 58, National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Van Wyk, E. & Van Oudtshoorn, F. 1999. Guide to grasses of southern Africa. Briza Publications, Arcadia, South Africa.