紫花针茅 zi hua zhen mao

Lasiagrostis tremula Ruprecht; Ptilagrostis purpurea (Grisebach) Roshevitz; Stipa purpurea subsp. arenosa (Tzvelev) D. F. Cui; S. purpurea var. arenosa Tzvelev; S. pilgeriana K. S. Hao.

Perennial, densely tufted. Culms 20–45 cm tall, 1–2-noded. Basal leaves 1/2 length of culms; leaf sheaths smooth, longer than internodes; leaf blades acicular, convolute, outer surface smooth or scabrid; ligule of basal leaves ca. 1 mm, obtuse, ciliate, of culm leaves lanceolate, 3–6 mm, decurrent and adnate to margins of leaf sheath. Panicle open, up to 15 cm, base enclosed in elongate purple uppermost leaf sheath, spikelets few; branches 3–6 cm, capillary, flexuous. Spikelets purple; glumes lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 cm, apex acuminate into 2–3 mm awn point; callus pungent, 1.5–2.2 mm; lemma 8–12 mm, back softly pubescent, apex without ring of hairs; awn deciduous, 6–9 cm, plumose throughout, hairs 2–3 mm, 2-geniculate, column 1.5–1.8 cm to first bend, 0.7–1 cm to second bend, bristle 4.5–7 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Oct.

Stony slopes, valley silt, sand or gravel flats; 1900–5200 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang [Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan (Pamirs), Tajikistan (Tian Shan)].

This species provides forage in mountain areas. At high altitudes it often occurs in Kobresia pygmaea turf.