Holcus parviflorus R. Brown, Prodr. 199. 1810; Andro-pogon cinctus Steudel; Bothriochloa parviflora (R. Brown) Ohwi; Chrysopogon pictus Hance.

Perennial. Culms tufted, 50–120 cm tall, 0.5–2 mm in diam., not or little branched, nodes bearded. Leaf sheaths glabrous or pilose, ciliate at mouth; leaf blades 15–30 × 0.3–0.8 cm, scaberulous or pubescent, usually hispid with tubercle-based hairs toward base, base rounded, apex acuminate; ligule 0.5–1 mm. Panicle oblong in outline, 9–20 × 2–5 cm; branches untidily flexuous, pilose in axils; racemes usually composed of triads, occasionally with 1–2 additional spikelet pairs, purple; rachis internodes and pedicels shortly ciliate at base. Sessile spikelet 3–4 mm; lower glume oblong-lanceolate, slightly glossy, back 2-veined, shallowly concave between veins, hispidulous, margins keeled, pectinate-ciliate above middle, apex narrowly obtuse; upper glume ciliate along upper margins; awn of upper lemma 1–1.5 cm. Pedicelled spikelet equaling the sessile and often staminate, or smaller and barren. Fl. and fr. Aug–Dec. 2n = 20, 40, 60.

Capillipedium parviflorum introgresses with C. assimile at the tetraploid level where both species are sympatric, resulting in apomictic hybrids. Tetraploid C. parviflorum also introgresses extensively with tetraploid Bothriochloa bladhii, likewise forming apomictic, hybrid races that cause much taxonomic difficulty. The name B. glabra has been applied to these hybrids.

Mountain slopes, streams. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand; Africa, SW Asia, Australia].