Paniceae: Answers to key questions leading to this tribe. 

Mature inflorescence, if breaking into units, then the units not as below; NOT [Mature inflorescence breaking into spikelet units consisting of a sessile fertile spikelet, a hairy pedicel with or without a sterile spikelet at tip, and a hairy rachis joint, all arising at the same point (a node) in specialized panicle branches called rames]

Spikelets usually dorsally compressed, appearing 1-flowered but containing 1 fertile floret and 1 sterile floret, the latter attached to the base of fertile floret opposite the upper glume, resembling the upper glume, and together with the upper glume enveloping the fertile floret; lower glumes minute (sometimes absent) to 3/4 as long as upper glumes and typically wrapping most of the way around the pedicel at base; fertile floret seed-like with chartaceous-indurate lemma and palea enclosing flower and fruit; disarticulation below the glumes with rare exceptions; NOT [Spikelets not as above; sterile florets if present, either located distal to the fertile floret(s) on the rachilla or paired and attached at the base of a single fertile floret, not paired with the upper glume as above; lemma and palea variously textured, enclosing the flower or not; disarticulation usually above the glumes]

Panicum: Answers to key questions leading to this genus (in tribe Paniceae). 

	Spikelets lacking bristles but rachis and pedicels may have scattered, long, papillose-based hairs; panicle not spike-like; NOT [Spikelets with bristles attached in groups at base; panicle dense and spike-like]
	Lemma of sterile florets unawned; ligules present; panicle branches not as below; NOT [Lemma of sterile florets often awned; ligules absent; panicle branches lateral, densely-flowered and spike-like]
	Panicle branches not as below; ligules membranous and ciliate, or consisting entirely of hairs; lower glume >= 1/5 length of the spikelet, always present; NOT [Panicle branches attached near tip of culm, spike-like, flattened and wing-margined with spikelets borne in groups of 2-3 (5) in 2 rows along the axis on the abaxial side of branch; ligule membranous, not ciliate; lower glume a minute triangle or a rounded membranous flap < 1/5 length of the spikelet, or absent]
	Upper glume and lemma of sterile floret glabrous; basal leaves similar to culm leaves, not forming a basal rosette; NOT [Upper glume and lemma of sterile floret pubescent; basal leaves usually different from the culm leaves and forming a basal rosette]

Capillare: Answers to key questions leading to this species (in genus Panicum). 

Plants annual, lacking rhizomes; culms usually +/- strongly branching from lower nodes; culm nodes pilose or puberulent; leaf sheaths densely to sparsely pilose; NOT [Plants perennial, rhizomatous with scaly, creeping rhizomes, often forming a knotty crown; culms unbranched at lower nodes and rarely branched above; culm nodes glabrous; leaf sheaths glabrous except for the throat, collar and distal margins]

Spikelets < 4 mm long; panicles erect, not nodding at maturity, open and very diffuse, often over 1/2 the plant length, detaching as a whole to tumble for seed dispersal; NOT [Spikelets >= 4 mm long; panicles often arching or nodding at maturity, usually compact, less than 1/2 as long as wide, much less than 1/2 the plant's total length, not detaching as a whole unit to become tumbleweeds]