刘氏薹草 liu shi tai cao

Rhizome woody. Culms tufted, lateral, 30-60 × 0.2-0.3 cm, trigonous, loosely pubescent when young, base with brown sheaths. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaves tufted, longer or shorter than culms, linear or linear-oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly elliptic, 20-40 × 1.4-4 cm, glabrous on both surfaces or scabrid abaxially, margins entire or ciliate, apex acuminate; petiole 4-20 cm, glabrous; cauline leaves yellowish brown with dense brown spots, spathelike. Involucral bracts spathelike. Panicle compound, 3-5-branched; inflorescence branches subcorymbose, single or binate, triangular-ovate, 2-3.5 × 2-3 cm; peduncles of inflorescence branches tenuous, 4-6 cm, densely hairy or glabrous; inflorescence axes trigonous; bractlets pale yellow with dense brown spots, glumelike, lanceolate, 3-4 mm, densely hairy or glabrous. Spikes more than 10, bisexual, androgynous, 5-8 mm; male part of spike shorter than or equaling female part, circular or oblong; female part 3-10-flowered; male glumes pale yellowish brown or brown, lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm, membranous; female glumes pale yellowish brown or brown with dark brown spots and short lines, ovate or lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse. Utricles pale brown with dense dark brown spots and short lines, ovate, rarely elliptic, trigonous, 2.5-3 mm, papery, glabrous, with 2 lateral veins abaxially, subsessile, apex contracted into beak of medium length, beak ca. 1/4 length of utricle, orifice obliquely truncate. Nutlets brown at maturity, ovate, trigonous, 1.5-2 mm; style base thickened; stigmas 3.

● Forests; 300-1100 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi.