Panicum rigidulum
Common Name(s): red-top panicum
Native to Florida
This panic grass is commonly found growing in wet flatwoods, bogs, swamps and disturbed sites nearly throughout Florida. Panicum rigidulum blooms from summer to fall (Wunderlin, 2003). It has a distinctively rigid, dark reddish inflorescence that may be spike-like or its branches may be open and ascending-spreading.
Red-top panicum is a grass. stems robust, erect, smooth, 2-4 ft. tall; leaf blades strongly ribbed, flat, folded at base, 8-20 in. long, to 1/2 in. wide; sheaths loose; ligule tiny; inflorescence at stem tip, dark reddish, rigid, branches pressed to axis or ascending-spreading; spikelets lance-shape, to 1/8 in. long, stalked, tiny hairs at stalk-top