匍茎草 pu jing qia cao

Koeleria asiatica Domin subsp. atroviolacea (Domin) Tzvelev; K. asiatica subsp. ledebourii (Domin) Tzvelev; K. atroviolacea var. tsinghaica Tzvelev; K. geniculata Domin; K. ledebourii Domin.

Perennial, shortly rhizomatous, forming loose mats; old basal sheaths papery, persistent. Culms erect or geniculate at base, 10–50 cm tall, pilose throughout length, 2–3-noded. Leaf sheaths of cauline leaves inflated; leaf blades green, flat or rolled, 5–15 cm, 1–2 mm wide, smooth or scabrid, occasionally pilose; ligule ca. 0.2 mm. Panicle rather lax, pyramidal to oblong in outline, 2.5–8 cm, lower part often interrupted, grayish violet. Spikelets 4–6 mm, florets 2 or 3; glumes usually glabrous, occasionally shortly ciliate on keel, lower glume narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–4 mm, upper glume broadly lanceolate, 4.5–5 mm; lemmas narrowly ovate, ca. 5 mm, smooth, glabrous, awnless, apex acuminate; palea keels scabrid. Anthers ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug.

Grassy places on dry mountain slopes; 2900–4600 m. Qinghai, Xizang [Mongolia, Russia (Altay and Sayan Mountains of S Siberia)].

This species is closely related to, and is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of, Koeleria asiatica Domin. That species, in the strict sense, is confined to arctic regions of E Europe, Russia, and W North America, and usually has densely hairy spikelets.

It is uncertain whether this grass does in fact occur in China, as was reported in FRPS (9(3): 134, fig. 33. 1987, as Koeleria asiatica), or whether that record relates to an unusually loosely tufted form of K. macrantha. No specimens have been seen.