蔗茅 zhe mao

Erianthus fulvus Nees ex Hackel (1889), not (Bory) Kunth (1829); E. lancangensis Y. Y. Qian; E. pallens Hackel; E. rufipilus (Steudel) Grisebach; Miscanthus rufipilus (Steudel) Grassl.

Perennial, tussocky. Culms up to 3.5 m tall, 0.3–0.7 mm in diam., nodes bearded, silky villous below panicle. Leaf sheaths longer than internodes, smooth, margin and mouth hairy; leaf blades flat or involute, tough, 20–60 × 0.5–1.5 cm, glabrous, abaxial surface farinose, narrowed to base, apex acuminate; ligule 1–3 mm, ciliate. Panicle narrowly oblong in outline, very dense, 18–45 cm, cream or pinkish with long hairs obscuring the spikelets, unbranched or shortly branched at base, axis villous; racemes 2–4(–9) cm; rachis internodes 1.5–2.5 mm, villous. Spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm; callus hairs ca. 3 times spikelet length; lower glume lanceolate, thinly cartilaginous, dark brown at maturity, back subglabrous, margins shortly ciliate or occasionally with longer hairs, apex palely membranous, sharply acuminate; lower lemma slightly longer than glumes, apex attenuate, sometimes awnlike; upper lemma linear-lanceolate, entire, awned; awn 1–1.5 cm. Anthers (1–)3, 1–1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Oct. 2n = 20.

Dry grassy and rocky hillsides; 1300–2600 m. Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan].

This species can be recognized by its elongate, narrow panicle of small, pointed, long-awned spikelets sunk among copious long hairs. Some specimens from Yunnan appear to have only one anther.