黄穗臭草 huang sui chou cao

Melica flava Z. L. Wu, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 30: 171. 1992, not Steudel (1855); M. qinghaiensis W. Hempel, nom. illeg. superfl.

Perennial, loosely tufted. Culms erect or inclined at base, 50–80 cm tall, 2–4 mm in diam., 3–5-noded, scabrid below panicle. Leaf sheaths keeled, scabrid on veins; leaf blades flat or folded, 10–22 cm × 3–6 mm, both surfaces scaberulous; ligule 2–4 mm, truncate, back pubescent. Panicle broadly linear in outline, 6–12 cm, dense, interrupted below, weakly 1-sided, spikelets many; branches laxly erect. Spikelets broadly ovate, 8–11 mm, yellow, fertile florets 2–4, terminal sterile lemmas gathered into globular cluster; glumes as long as spikelet, papery, slightly unequal, obovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, lower glume 6–8 mm, 1–3-veined, upper glume 7–11 mm, 3-veined, both acute; lemmas oblong, lowest 5.5–7 mm, lower part herbaceous, 5–7-veined, upper 1/3 slightly enlarged, membranous, apex 2-lobed, lobes rounded; palea as long as herbaceous part of lemma, keels ciliolate. Anthers ca. 1 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug.

* Grassy mountain slopes; ca. 3600 m. Qinghai.