Panicum torridum
Genus
Panicum
Species
torridum
Hawaiian Names with Diacritics
- Hākonakona
- Kākonakona
Hawaiian Names
- Hakonakona
- Kakonakona
Common Names
- Torrid panic grass
- Torrid panicgrass
Synonyms
- Neurachne montanum
- Panicum cinereum
- Panicum gossypinum
- Panicum montanum
- Panicum nubigenum
Distribution Status
Endemic
Endangered Species Status
No Status
Plant Form / Growth Habit
- Non-Woody, Clumping
Mature Size, Height (in feet)
- Grass-like, Short, Less than 1
- Grass-like, Medium, 1 to 2.5
- Grass-like, Tall, Greater than or equal to 2.5
Mature Size, Width
Dense tuffs have a spread of a foot or more and are 3-35 inches tall.
Life Span
Short lived (Less than 5 years)
Landscape Uses
- Accent
- Container
- Ground Cover
Additional Landscape Use Information
Native grasses should be incorporated more in home and commercial landscapes.They are non invasive and fill in gaps in the landscape by adding another element of texture and enhancing more showier natives. They are "the roadies for the stars."
Plant Produces Flowers
Yes
Flower Colors
- Greenish-White
- Orange
Additional Flower Color Information
The tiny flowers themselves are rather insignificant alone. But the bright orange stamens against the soft, feathery greenish-white tuffs have a nice appeal when viewed closely.
Blooming Period
- Spring
- Summer
Plant texture
- Medium
Additional Plant Texture Information
The leaves have a velvety look and feel to them.
Leaf Colors
- Light Green
Additional Pest & Disease Information
Ants, scale, mealybugs, aphids, thrips, locusts, and occasionally caterpillars.
Black sooty mold can be a problem if over watered or there is insufficient drainage. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Fertilizer
As with many native grasses, very light applications of fertilizers should be applied once a month. Good results have come from organics such as fish or kelp emulsions. [David Eickhoff, Native Plants Hawaiʻi]
Pruning Information
None required. But as an annual the seeds can be immediately re-sown or collected and stored in a refrigerator for later use.
Water Requirements
- Dry
- Moist
Additional Water Information
Kākonakona do best on the drier side.
Soil must be well drained
Yes
Light Conditions
- Full sun
- Partial sun
Additional Lighting Information
Best planted in full sun. This grass will tolerant some shading in the day, but needs sun the majority of the day otherwise they tend to get spindly and do not grow to their full potential in their brief lifespan.
Spacing Information
They can be spaced a foot or less apart for a groundcover or planted randomly as an accent.
Tolerances
- Drought
- Wind
- Salt Spray
- Heat
Soils
- Clay
- Sand
- Cinder
- Organic
- Coral
Natural Range
- Niʻihau
- Kauaʻi
- Oʻahu
- Molokaʻi
- Lānaʻi
- Maui
- Kahoʻolawe
- Hawaiʻi
- Northwest Islands
Natural Zones (Elevation in feet, Rainfall in inches)
- Less than 150, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 150 to 1000, 0 to 50 (Dry)
- 1000 to 1999, 0 to 50 (Dry)
Habitat
- Terrestrial
Additional Habitat Information
Kākonakona is commonly found on arid, open, often weedy coastal flats from sea level to 1640 feet on all of the main islands and Nīhoa (Moku Manu) and Necker (Mokumanamana) in the Northwest Islands (Papahānaumokuākea). [6]
Special Features and Information
General Information
The Torrid panicgrass (Panicum torridum) [3] belongs to Poaceae or Grass family with perhaps as many as 500 species. There are twelve endemic species in the Hawaiian Archipelago, with five of them rare or endangered.
There are also several weedy relatives such as the ubiquitous Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus), formerly Panicum maximum.
Etymology
The former generic name Panicum is an old Latin name for the common millet (Setaria italica).
The current generic name Megathyrsus is from the Greek mega, biggest, and thyrsos, thyrse* in reference to the inflorescense of this grass.
The specific epithet maximus is Latin for biggest.
* A thyrse is a compact panicle having an obscured main axis and cymose subaxes, making its paniculate nature hard to discern.
Hawaiian Names:
Hākonakona is a Niʻihau name for this grass.
Background Information
Kākonakona is the most common and widespread of the native species of Panicum. Sadly, some have consider this native grass as "a weed." [5]
This species is closely related to Panicum ramosius, another less common endemic. Certain collections with merely velvety puberulent leaves may possibly be a result of hybridization between the 2 species.
It is likely that this species was formerly a more important component of dry lowland vegetation, where it probably grew intermixed with native shrubs. [2]
Modern Use
This species has been referred to as a "good forage" grass. [1] In 1957, Botanist Otto Degener noted that "P. torridum is plentiful enough locally to be of some value as forage." [4]
Sadly, these statements have proved to be true and today native Hawaiian grasses as not as common as in the past. Competition with introduced grasses, fires and over grazing by ungulates have greatly reduced our native grasses and grasslands.
Additional References
[1] "In Gardens of Hawaii" by Marie C. Neal, page 73.
[2] "Alteration of Native Hawaiian Vegetation--Effects of Humans, Their Activities and Introductions" by Linda W. Cuddihy & Charles P. Stone, page 12.
[3] "Grasses of Hawaii" by Peter P. Rotar, page 327.
[4] "Flora Hawaiiensis," by Otto Degener, Vols. 1-4, Family: 47.
[5] "Handbook of Hawaiian Weeds" by E. L. Haselwood, page 54.
[6] "Natural History of Nihoa and Necker Islands" by Neal L. Evenhuis, page 192.
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