Culms 20-70 cm, robust, usually freely branching; nodes glabrous or sparsely hirsute, hairs papillose-based. Sheathsglabrous or sparsely hirsute, hairs papillose-based; blades 4-30 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely hirsute, hairs papillose-based, cordate, clasping basally. Panicles nodding. Spikelets 3.2-4 mm; lower paleas more than 1/2 as long as the upper florets. 2n = unknown.
Panicum hirticaule subsp. stramineum grows in rich bottomlands in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Mexico.