Botanical Name: Panicum repens
Family: Poaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Genus: Panicum
Species: P. repens
Synonyms: Panicum gouinii Fourn.
Common Names: Torpedograss, Creeping panic, Panic rampant, Couch panicum, Wainaku grass, Quack grass, Dog-tooth grass, and Bullet grass.
U.S. name: Torpedo grass
English name: Victoria grass
Spanish name: Canota
French name: Panic rampant
Italian name: Panico strisciante
Habitat : Panicum repens is native to “Africa and/or Asia”, “Europe or Australia”, “Eurasia”, “Australia”, “Europe, Asia, and Africa”, or other specific regions, including the Mediterranean, Israel, and Argentina. It is present in many places as an introduced species and often a noxious weed. It has been called “one of the world’s worst weeds. This grass grows throughout the world in tropical and subtropical areas.
Description:
Panicum repens is a perennial grass, spreads via its large, branching rhizomes, which are thick and pointed. The pointed shape of the rhizome tip gives the plant the name torpedograss. The rhizomes creep along the ground or float in water, forming floating mats. They can reach a length of 6 meters (20 ft) and a soil depth of 7 meters (23 ft), and they can form a mat 15 centimeters (5.9 in) thick. The spreading rhizomes sprout repeatedly to form colonies of stems. The stems are 20 to 90 centimeters (7.9 to 35.4 in) tall, sometimes reaching 1 meter (3 ft 3 in). They grow erect or bend down. The leaves are stiff and straight, linear in shape, and flat or folded. They are sometimes white in color and waxy in texture. The inflorescence is a loose panicle of branches bearing small spikelets 2 to 3 millimeters (0.079 to 0.118 in) long.. Leaf sheaths can be glabrous or hairy with a membranous ligule covered by short hairs. Flowering occurs nearly year round. When mature and fertile the lemma palea are yellow or stramineous.
Medicinal Uses:
Fresh juice prepared by crushing internode portion of the plant is filtered. The filtrate is used as eye drop to cure eye irritation
by the Lodhas. Fresh stolon (ca. 20gm) is made into a paste, and mixed with black pepper (Piper nigrum) (ca. 5 gm) seeds. The paste
is taken to cure piles by the Asurs. The drug is continued for at least 15 days.
Other Uses: Panicum repens is a useful species of grass for binding coastal sands, lake shores and 20 – 30° steep pond slopes.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panicum_repens
http://www.crdeepjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Vol-3-3-1-IJBAS.pdf
