Thicket/ Deer-Tongue Panic Grass

COMMON NAME: Deer-Tongue Panicgrass

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Panicum clandestinum

FAMILY: Poaceae

COMMUNITY: Thicket

STATUS: Native   

LIFESPAN: Perennial

HEIGHT: to 5 feet, usually shorter

FLOWERING TIME: May to September, Leaf masses persist through the winter

FRUITING TIME: June to October

DISTRIBUTION: Quebec to Florida ~ Statewide outside central Pine Barrens in New Jersey

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Often in large colonies, stout, erect ~ Flower stalks high, single flower at end of branches ~ Stiff leaves, big clumps, leaf sheath pulls conspicuously away from the stem ~ Stem rough hairs

GENERAL INFORMATION: The Poaceae family is commonly called the grass family and grasses in this genus, Panicum, are commonly called panic grasses.  The name is presumably derived from its more or less diffuse panicle or flower cluster. One hundred and sixty species of panic grasses grow in the United States; approximately one-third of the total in the world. The center of abundance of our species is in the Southeast, though some panic grasses are encountered in all parts of the country.  The plants inhabit fields and upland waste places. The perennial panic grasses is a large group that has an unusual life cycle.  They have basal rosettes of leaves that stay green through the winter.  In the early part of the season, they send up a conspicuous terminal flowering shoot.  Later in the season the plant starts branching profusely and produces small inflorescences (flower cluster) tucked in the leaf axils.  These flowers never open but instead pollinate themselves. Panic grasses are one of the country’s most important source of food for ground-feeding songbirds and gamebirds.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.