Panicum schinzii, an alien species new to the flora of the Czech Republic

Panicum schinzii, an annual weed of arable land and ruderal plant of South African origin was found as a species new to the flora of the Czech Republic. A population of several dozen individuals was discovered near the village of Vitějovice, District of Prachatice, southern Bohemia. The species grew there in a disturbed gravelly road verge in sparse vegetation of annual ruderal plants. The authors of this paper suppose that the species was unintentionally introduced to the new locality by road transport from the adjacent regions of Bavaria, where it is currently spreading along roads. The paper presents a morphological description, in situ photographs and other illustrations of the species, and also provides diagnostic characters distinguishing it from P. dichotomiflorum, a similar and related species also occurring in the Czech Republic.