Vine Mesquite
Panicum obtusum

Family: Poaceae or Gramineae

What it is like

Panicum obtusum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.8

Where it is found

Damp flats, shores and waste places. Usually found in dry soils according to another report. Sandy or gravelly soils, mainly along the banks of rivers and irrigation ditches.

Central and southern N. America - Missouri to Arizona and Mexico.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Seed - cooked as a whole grain or ground into a powder and used as a flour with cornmeal. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, though it has a pleasant, mild flavour and can e used as a staple food.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

An infusion of the leaves is said to be a good wash for making the hair grow more quickly. The dried and powdered stolons can be mixed with soapweed (Yucca species) and used as a tonic hair shampoo. This species is occasionally planted for erosion control.

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

How it is grown

Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. The plant can produce stolons more than 2 metres long and so has the potential to spread considerably.

Propagating it: 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. 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Brachiaria obtusa.