Huge infestation of this and other weeds all along this gully. Heavy runoff from the hailstorm of 20 January seems to have brought this grass from Cook horse paddocks. There are also large numbers along the roadside on Bindubi St and in the Mt Painter Wildflower Triangle.
NSW DPI 'Grasses of the NSW tablelands' says Panicum capillare is an annual with 5-18mm wide leaves and membranous ligules that have shortly-hairy tips while Panicum effusum is a perennial with 2-5mm wide leaves and hairy ligules.
I'd say the main difference is the hairiness. P. capillare/hillmanii (which we have been calling Witchgrass for convenience) is very hairy all over - leaf sheaths and both sides of the blades. It looks 'furry'. Most parts of P effusum are relatively smooth. Its hairs are shorter. The margins of effusum leaf blades have widely and regularly spaced hairs that have noticeable tubercles at the base. The hairs on the Witchgrass blades are much more crowded and irregular. If you look at the base of the plant, Witchgrass tends to have a lot of red-purple and is robust looking (although soft to the touch). P effusum is all green and is more gracile. And in general, Witchgrass is a paler green and the leaves are broader. Around here, the P effusum panicles have already spread, although they are still tightly bunched in Witchgrass (although they did open eventually last year).
Thanks Cath very helpful - the plants I saw at Dudley street seem to fit the description of Witchgrass except for the degree of hairiness can you please check the following sighting for me Unidentified on 20 Mar 2020 Thanks
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