Panicum torridum is a cespitose (growing in clumps) annual grass ranging in height from 8 to 90 cm, with unbranched or branched culms exhibiting a villous or velvety puberulent texture, with nodes that are also villous. Its leaves are simple, alternate, and cauline, with 4–29 cm long blades and 0.2–1.5 cm wide, flat, and either villous or velvety puberulent. It produces 3–23 cm long panicles with a villous axis and ascending villous branches. The spikelets (pictured) are 1.9–5.1 mm long and acuminate, covered in villous hairs. The first glume is as long as the spikelets, acuminate or rarely acute, and 5-7-nerved, while the second glume is slightly shorter and 5-9-nerved. The first floret is sterile, with a first lemma shorter than the second glume, and can be glabrous to villous. The second floret matures to a dark brown color with white nerves, elliptic in shape, smooth, and glossy. The anthers measure 0.7–1.2 mm in length, and the fruit is a caryopsis. It is commonly found in arid, open, often weedy coastal flats between 0-500 meters.
Bean-shaped (Reniform): Resembling the shape of a kidney or bean.
Square or Oblong: Angular shape with all sides more or less equal or longer than wide.
Triangular: Three-sided shape, broadest below the middle.
Elliptic: Rounded at both ends. shaped like an ellipse or oval.
Ovate or Obovate: egg-shaped, broader at one end.
Linear: Extremely long and narrow, with sides usually parallel.
Round: Appears circular, with length and width roughly the same.
Cardioid (Heart-Shaped): One edge has a prominent double curve into two lobes.
Cylindrical: A cylinder with parallel sides and a circular cross-section.
Discoid: Resembling a disc or plate with two relatively flat surfaces.
Fusiform: Spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends.
Globose: Spherical.
Lenticular: Resembling a lens with two convex surfaces.
Ovoid: Egg-shaped.
Plano-convex: Having a flat ventral (planar) surface and a curved dorsal (convex) surface.
Polygonal: Having more than three flat faces meeting at angles.
Sectoroid: Resembling a segment of an orange with two relatively flat faces and one curved face.
Subglobose/ellipsoid: Inflated shape but less than spherical.
Trigonous: Having three faces that meet at a distinct angle; triangular in cross-section.
Endangered species (E) are species that are so rare they’re in danger of becoming extinct.
Threatened species (T) are species that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
Species of Concern (SOC) are species about which there are some concerns regarding status and threats, but insufficient information is available to list the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Plant Extinction Prevention (PEP) is a state status for rare plants that focuses its efforts on species that have fewer than 50 remaining wild individuals.
Orthodox seeds (desiccation-tolerant): can be dried to an internal seed moisture of less than 12% water and stored at freezing temperatures.
Intermediate seeds (temperature-sensitive) tend to age faster than orthodox seeds and may have only a 5-year lifespan when stored at -20°C. They are recommended for storage at 5°C.
Recalcitrant seeds (desiccation-sensitive): cannot be stored in a conventional freezer as they cannot survive after drying and/or freezing at -20°C. They are recommended for cryopreservation storage.