座花针茅 zuo hua zhen mao

Lasiagrostis subsessiliflora Ruprecht in Osten-Sacken & Ruprecht, Sert. Tianschan. 35. 1869; Ptilagrostis subsessiliflora (Ruprecht) Roshevitz; Stipa basiplumosa Munro ex J. D. Hooker; S. subsessiliflora subsp. basiplumosa (Munro ex J. D. Hooker) D. F. Cui; S. subsessiliflora var. basiplumosa (Munro ex J. D. Hooker) P. C. Kuo & Y. H. Sun.

Perennial, densely tufted. Culms 10–45 cm tall, 2–3-noded. Basal leaves 1/3 length of culms; leaf sheaths glabrous, lower shorter than internodes, upper longer than internodes; leaf blades setaceous, convolute, basal blades up to 15 cm, outer surface scabrid; ligule lanceolate, 2–4 mm or slightly shorter at base. Panicle narrow, 7–14 × 1–2 cm, base enclosed by uppermost leaf sheath when young; branches suberect, 1–3 cm. Spikelets purple; glumes equal or lower longer, lanceolate-oblong, 0.6–1.1 cm, papery, apex scarious, acute to attenuate-mucronate; callus pungent, ca. 1 mm; lemma 4–6 mm, pubescent; awn deciduous, 1.5–2.7 cm, 2-geniculate, column plumose, hairs to first bend 2–3 mm, hairs to second bend 1–1.5 mm, bristle scabrid. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Stony slopes, alluvial plains, sandy river banks; 1900–5200 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan [Kashmir, E Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia (Altay), Tajikistan, Uzbekistan].

This is a high mountain species, yielding good forage.