Dinebra panicea is a cosmopolitan species that somewhat resembles Dinebra chinensis, an aggressive weed that has not yet been found in the Americas. It differs in its sparsely to densely hairy, rather than glabrous or almost glabrous, sheaths and blades. Two of its three subspecies grow in the United States. 

Like many other species of Dinebra, Dinebra panicea used to be included in Leptochloa. A key for distinguishing these and closely related genera as they are now interpreted is available here.