苞子草 bao zi cao

Anthistiria caudata Nees in Hooker & Arnott, Bot. Beechey Voy. 245. 1838; A. gigantea Cavanilles subsp. caudata (Nees) J. D. Hooker; Themeda gigantea (Cavanilles) Hackel subsp. caudata (Nees) Hackel.

Perennial. Culms tufted, robust, 1–3 m tall, 0.5–1 cm in diam. Leaf sheaths glabrous, basal sheaths strongly compressed; leaf blades 20–80 × 0.5–1 cm, scabrid, midvein distinct, narrowed to subrounded at base, acuminate; ligule subrounded, ca. 1 mm, ciliate. Compound panicle large, much branched, branches bearing several spathes, each spathe subtending a further spathe and up to 3 spatheoles with racemes; spatheoles 2.5–5 cm, minutely scaberulous-puberulous; peduncle pilose at apex. Raceme composed of 1(–2) spikelet pairs and a terminal triad above the involucre of 2 homogamous pairs. Homogamous spikelets arising at slightly different levels, 12–15 mm, linear-lanceolate, wingless, minutely scaberulous-puberulous. Sessile spikelet 6–7.5 mm; callus 2–3 mm, acuminate; lower glume dorsally compressed, oblong-lanceolate, densely golden strigose; upper lemma stipitiform; awn 4–8 cm. Pedicelled spikelet 12–15 mm, male or barren. Fl. and fr. Jul–Dec.

Dry hillsides, forest margins; 400–2500 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].

The name "Themeda gigantea var. caudata (Nees) Keng" (Fl. Ill. Pl. Prim. Sin. Gram. 845. 1959) belongs here, but was not validly published because no Latin description was provided.