Beaked Panic Grass

Body

A common grass in disturbed areas

Beaked Panic Grass, Coleataenia anceps, is warm-season grass native to Illinois. It grows in disturbed habitats with moist soil. 

This grass usually grows between 2 and 4 feet tall. Its leaves are keeled, which means it looks like the leaf blade and leaf sheath were folded in half and retain that crease. There are hairs along the edges of the leaf sheaths. The ligule, found where the leaf blade wraps around the stem to form the sheath, is short and membranous.

This grass produces a panicle inflorescence with oval-shaped spikelets. The spikelets have pointed tips and are arranged along branches. If you catch it in bloom you can see purple anthers pushed out of the spikelets.  

Need a refresher on grass identification terms, like ligule and spikelet? Check out this blog post!

Image
clump of grass in bloom
Beaked Panic Grass has panicle inflorescences, which are open and airy in appearance.
Image
hand holding grass stem and leaf
This grass has keeled leaves and leaf sheaths, meaning they have a strong crease down their middle.
Image
hand holding grass inflorescence with purple anthers
The spikelets of this grass are pointed like a bird's beak. When it's flowering, purple anthers are visible.
How to Identify Beaked Panic Grass

Beaked Panic Grass, Coleataenia anceps, is a  native warm season grass. It is mostly found in southern Illinois in disturbed, moist  habitats. It grows between two and four feet tall and its leaves are keeled, which  means it looks like the leaf blade and the...

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Email: extension@illinois.edu

EEO myExtension Staff Login