玫瑰紫草沙蚕 mei gui zi cao sha can

Tripogon jacquemontii Stapf var. submuticus J. D. Hooker.

Culms 5–35 cm tall. Basal leaf sheaths finally splitting into dense clumps of fibers; leaf blades 1–10 × 0.1–0.3 cm, adaxial surface densely scabrid-hispidulous, loosely pilose with long scattered hairs, abaxial surface glabrous. Racemes 2–10 (–17) cm, stiff, straight or slightly curved, spikelets tightly appressed to concavities in rachis, imbricate by 1/4–1/3 their length. Spikelets 4–7 mm, usually purplish; florets 2–4(–6), imbricate, rachilla mostly hidden; lower glume narrowly triangular, symmetrical, 1.5–2.5 mm, acuminate; upper glume narrowly oblong, 2.5–4.5 mm, thickened along midvein, margins broad, scarious, apex scabrid-apiculate; lemmas oblong-lanceolate, 2–3.4 mm to sinus, 2-dentate, midvein produced into a 0.2–0.5 mm mucro, teeth rounded, lateral veins not extended; palea keels wingless, scabrid. Anthers 3, 1.2–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Arid places, especially open stony mountainsides, sometimes forming a sward; 700–2400 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Bhutan, NW India, Nepal, Pakistan; SW Asia (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)].

This is the only species in China with a short mucro from the lemma tip not exceeding 0.5 mm, lateral veins not at all extended from the apical teeth, and wingless, scabrid palea keels. It was misidentified as Tripogon abyssinicus Nees ex Steudel in Fl. Brit. India (7: 287. 1896, "1897").

The name "Tripogon hookerianus Bor" (Grasses Burma, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, 522. 1960) belongs here, but was not validly published because no type was indicated.