石龙刍 shi long chu

Restio articulatus Retzius, Observ. Bot. 4: 14. 1786; Lepironia compressa Boeckeler; L. mucronata Persoon; L. mucronata var. compressa (Boeckeler) E. G. Camus.

Rhizomes creeping, covered by brown ovate scales. Culms 0.7-1.5(-2) m tall, 5-8 mm thick when dried, terete, with 3 or 4 leaf sheaths at base; sheaths open, brown to reddish, 10-30 cm, papery, margin thickly membranous. Involucral bract 3-7 cm. Spike brown to blackish, pseudolateral, ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, 1-2 × 0.6-1 cm, with many glumelike bracts. Glumelike bracts orange, dark brown, or black, ovate, broadly ovate, or obovate-oblong, 4-5 × 4.5-5 mm, concave, striate, apex rounded. Pseudospikelets with many brown glumes; basal 2 glumes lateral, narrowly spatulate and cymbiform, ca. 5 mm, membranous, keeled, with stout prickle hairs on keel, apex acute; middle glumes linear-lanceolate and cymbiform, slightly shorter, membranous, each with or without a single stamen, apex acuminate; central gynoecium surrounded by empty glumes. Anther linear-oblong; connective apex ca. 0.5 mm, prominent beyond anther. Style white at anthesis, shorter than stigmas. Nutlet yellowish, maturing to dark gray brown, obovoid, ca. 4 × 3 mm, compressed, with 7-9 dark brown longitudinal striae on both sides, margins distally scaberulose. Fl. and fr. Feb-Jun.

Usually in coastal ponds, marshes, and streams; 100-200 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Australia, Madagascar, Pacific islands].

Lepironia articulata is used for making mats and baskets.