错立野古草 cuo li ye gu cao

Perennial, densely tufted, strongly rhizomatous. Culms erect or ascending, 35–80 cm tall, 1.5–2 mm in diam., 5–9-noded, nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths longer than internodes, glabrous or pilose, one margin ciliate; leaf blades linear, 11–20 cm × 2–5 mm, glabrous or pilose, margins scabrid, apex finely acuminate; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Panicle loosely contracted, narrowly elliptic in outline, 10–17 cm; central axis and branches scabrid-hispidulous; branches narrowly ascending, 3–6 cm, loosely spiculate; pedicels scabrid. Spikelets 3.8–4.5 mm, usually purple tinged; glumes glabrous, veins scaberulous; lower glume 2.5–3 mm, 3–5-veined; upper glume as long as spikelet, 5-veined; lower floret staminate, as long as lower glume; upper floret 2.2–3 mm, lemma apex subentire, awned; awn geniculate with brown twisted column, 2.7–5 mm; callus hairs ca. 1/2 length of lemma.

Cliffs, sandy river banks. Xizang [Bhutan, NE India].

This species is reputed to be a good soil binder.