Scientific Name
Panicum repens L.
Synonyms
Panicum arenarium Brot., Panicum chromatostigma Pilg., Panicum convolutum P.Beauv. ex Spreng., Panicum grossarium Forssk. [Illegitimate], Panicum ischaemoides Retz., Panicum kiensieleense Vanderyst [Invalid], Panicum kinshasaense Vanderyst [Invalid], Panicum leiogonum Delile, Panicum littorale C.Mohr ex Vasey, Panicum nyanzense K.Schum., Panicum pauciflorum Bory ex Nees [Invalid], Panicum polyphyllum Peter [Invalid], Panicum polystachion Ucria [Illegitimate], Panicum tuberosum Llanos [1]
Vernacular Name
| Malaysia | Kerunong padi, metubong, telur ikan [2] |
| English | Torpedo grass [2], bullet grass, couch grass, couch panicum, creeping panic grass, creeping panicum, creeping witchgrass, panic grass, quack grass, Victoria grass, wainaku grass [3] |
| India | Allappu kommu vella vanti gaddi, bamdu, berad, chotta jolgantee, cinkiverppul, cukkakiri, cukkakirippul, inchi pillu, inciverpillu, injipillu, kari kaddi hullu, kotakam, kotakappul, kotataram, kotatarappul, ladda gaddi, narunatika, naruntikappul, panidal, reda, shunti hullu, sonti hullu, sukkanaaru pullu, sunti hulu, tantankattaippul, thineipillu, tirunarakavam [3] |
| Indonesia | Benda laut (North Sumatra); suket balungen (Javanese); ramput kumaranting (Minang)[2][3] |
| Thailand | Ya-chanakat (Central); ya-khaemman (Northeast); ya-onoi (Northern) [2]; khaem man, ya-chanakat, yaa channakaat, ya chanakat, ya khaemman, ya o noi, ya-onoi, yaa o noi [3] |
| Myanmar | Myet-kha [2][3] |
| Philippines | Luya-luyahan (Tagalog); luy-a-luy-a (Visaya); maralaya (Ilokano) [2] |
| Cambodia | Smau phluk, chhlong [2][3] |
| Vietnam | Co’ cu’a gà, co’ ông [2][3] |
| Japan | Hai-kibi, najichu (Okinawa) [3] |
| Sri Lanka | Etora, inji pul [3] |
| Saudi Arabia | N’gil, nesi, zommar [3] |
| Niger | Kargeri, kasha [3] |
| Nigeria | Ekuro imado, epose [3] |
| Senegal | Bama subu, e kene, ekena, eselek [3] |
| Sierra Leone | Angbalet, kawaya, ngnkakpo, piso, somesemese, sumfu,wasa, yolo, yowo [3] |
| South Africa | Bamboeskweek, grootblousaadgras, kruipgras, kweekbuffelsgras, varkgas [3] |
| France | Panic rampant [2]. |
Geographical Distributions
Panicum repens is widespread in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries. It also occurs in wetter areas throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. [2] P. repens can grow up to 2000 m altitude in the tropics on humid or marshy places, on moist open or partially shaded meadows, in paddy fields, along lagoons, canals and roadsides, and on sandy soils on the coast. It is extremely tolerant of acid soils. It cannot stand permanently flooded conditions. [2]
Botanical Description
P. repens is a member of the Gramineae family. It is a perennial grass with long, sharp pointed rhizomes and also often with stolons surface. [2]
The culms are erect or decumbent, measure up to 120 cm tall and often from a knotty base. [2]
The leaf-sheath is 4-7 cm long and hairy at the margins near the throat. The leaf-blade is linear-acuminate, measuring 7-25 cm x 2-8 cm, flat or rolled when dry, often stiff and pungent and ascending close to the stem. The ligule is a shallow membrane, measures 0.5 mm high and fringed with the whitish hairs. [2]
The inflorescence is a narrowly oblong panicle, measures 5-20 cm long, with sparsely to moderately branched where the branches are usually ascending. The spikelets are narrowly elliptical, measure about 3 mm long, acute and often tinged with purple. The lower glume clasps the base of the spikelet and it is ⅓ the length of the spikelet. The upper glume is as long as the spikelet. The lower floret is male while the upper floret is bisexual. The caryopsis glossy is white. Flowering starts 3-4 weeks after the seedling emergence and continues throughout the year, but seed production is poor. [2]
The rhizomes develop so fast that they give a dense sward within 5-6 months. [2]
Cultivation
No documentation.
Chemical Constituent
No documentation.
Plant Part Used
No documentation.
Traditional Use
No documentation.
Preclinical Data
No documentation.
Clinical Data
No documentation.
Poisonous Management
No documentation.
Line Drawing
References
- The Plant List. Ver 1.1. Panicum repens L.[homepage on the Internet]. c2013 [updated 2012 Mar 23; cited 2015 Jul 28]. Available from: http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-430067
- Manidool C. Panicum repens L. In: Mannetje L’t, Jones RM, editors. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 4: Forages. Wageningen, Netherlands: Pudoc Scientific Publisher, 1992; p. 176-177.
- Quattrocchi U. CRC world dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: Common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms, and etymology. Volume IV M-Q. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 2012. p. 414
