Panicum coloratum

Panicum coloratum is a species of grass known by the common names kleingrass, blue panicgrass[1] (USA),[2][3] white buffalograss (southern Africa);[1] Bambatsi panic, makarikari grass,[2] and coolah grass (Australia).[1] It is native to Africa,[3] and it has been introduced elsewhere, such as the United States and Australia, and bred into many cultivars.[1]

Panicum coloratum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Panicum
Species:
P. coloratum
Binomial name
Panicum coloratum

This plant is variable in appearance.[1] In general, is a perennial bunchgrass which usually has rhizomes. The firm, usually erect stems grow up to 1.4 meters tall. The leaf blades are 10 to 30 centimeters long.[4] They are green to a waxy blue-green color.[1] The panicles are variable in length.[4] The spikelets are green and purple.[1]

This grass is used as a pasture grass and to make hay.[1] It produces a large amount of forage for animals.[3] It is drought-tolerant and does well in hot climates.[5] This C4 plant can grow on saline soils[6] and requires an amount of sodium for effective photosynthesis.[7][8] Different cultivars have varying tolerances of sodium.[9] While it makes a good graze for animals, the grass has occasionally been associated with liver damage and photosensitivity in young ruminants and horses.[3][10][11] This photosensitivity can lead to sunburn, which causes swelling of the head and ears of the animal, a condition commonly called "swellhead".[12]

Cultivars include 'Pollock', 'Bambatsi',[2] 'Bushman Mine', 'Verde',[1] and 'Kabulabula'.[8]

References
  1. Panicum coloratum. Tropical Forages.
  2. Bambatsi Panic. Government of Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food.
  3. Panicum coloratum. USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet.
  4. Panicum coloratum. Archived 2012-12-15 at Archive.today Grass Manual Treatment.
  5. Blake, C. Kleingrass gains ground in desert ag. Western Farm Press September 3, 2009.
  6. Behling, A. Kleingrass catches on. Archived 2010-11-25 at the Wayback Machine Hay and Forage Grower February 1, 2001.
  7. Murata, S. and J. Sekiya. (1992). Effects of sodium on photosynthesis in Panicum coloratum. Plant Cell Physiol 33(8) 1239-42.
  8. Matoh, T. and S. Murata. (1990). Sodium stimulates growth of Panicum coloratum through enhanced photosynthesis. Plant Physiol 92 1169-73.
  9. Taleisnik, E., et al. (1998). Salinity effects on the early development stages of Panicum coloratum: Cultivar differences. Grass and Forage Science 53(3) 270-78.
  10. Hepatotoxic Plants. Merck Veterinary Manual.
  11. Bridges, C. H., et al. (1987). Kleingrass (Panicum coloratum L.) poisoning in sheep. Vet Pathol 24(6) 525-31.
  12. Sheep, goat producers should watch for kleingrass problems. Archived 2015-08-28 at the Wayback Machine Livestock Weekly

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3192474/ Kleingrass can cause liver failure in equines. It’s not a safe source of nutrition.

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