Herb: Desert Panicgrass


Latin name: Panicum urvilleanum


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Desert Panicgrass:

Seed - cooked or ground into a powder and used as a flour. The seed has a mild flavour and can be used like millet.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy places in deserts and creosote bush scrub in California.

Propagation of Desert Panicgrass:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sandy places in deserts and creosote bush scrub in California.

Medicinal use of Desert Panicgrass:

None known

Known hazards of Panicum urvilleanum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.