拟毛轴莎草 ni mao zhou suo cao

Perennials. Rhizomes with long stolons. Culms 45-85 cm tall, stout, compressed triquetrous. Leaves basal, equaling or slightly longer than culm; sheath reddish brown; leaf blade 5-10 mm wide, ± flat. Involucral bracts 3, leaflike, basal 1 or 2 longer than inflorescence. Inflorescence a simple or compound anthela; rays 3-7, mostly to 15 cm, unequal in length, obliquely spreading, smooth. Spikes 1-5, broadly ovoid, with 4-16 spikelets; rachis hispidulous or glabrous. Spikelets laxly arranged, narrowly linear-ovoid to linear-ovoid, 10-25 × ca. 3 mm, slightly turgid, obliquely spreading to spreading, 14-36-flowered; rachilla wings white, narrow, hyaline. Glumes yellowish brown and reddish brown punctate but middle greenish, slightly densely imbricate, broadly ovate, 2.5-3 mm, membranous, 7-9-veined, keeled, margin white hyaline and undulate, apex obtuse. Stamens 3; anthers linear-oblong, 1.2-1.8 mm; connective slightly prominent beyond anthers. Style short; stigmas 3. Nutlet brown, obovoid, 1.3-1.5 mm, ca. 1/2 as long as subtending glume, 3-sided, essentially smooth. Fl. and fr. Jun-Oct. 2n = 18, 64.

Fields, water margins, wet places, often in sandy soil; below 100 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan [Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, N Australia, Madagascar].