Pollinia phaeothrix Hackel in A. Candolle & C. Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 6: 168. 1889.

Perennial, forming dense tussocks; basal sheaths woolly with dark reddish brown hairs, finally fibrous. Culms slender, 0.3–0.8(–1) m tall, 1–1.5 mm in diam., 2- or 3-noded, white-villous below inflorescence, nodes sometimes farinose and bearded below. Leaf sheaths pilose or glabrescent; leaf blades narrowly linear, 15–30 × 0.1–0.4 cm, glabrous or pilose, apex acute; ligule 0.5–1 mm. Racemes (1–)2–6(–8), digitate, 4–11(–15) cm, hairs golden brown; rachis internodes and pedicels 1/2–2/3 spikelet length, densely ciliate. Sessile spikelet 3.5–5.5 mm, dark brown; callus hairs 1/8 spikelet length; lower glume oblong-lanceolate, back flat or slightly concave, lower 2/3 villous, hairs uniform or concentrated toward margins, veinless between keels, apex pallid, ciliate, subacute; upper lemma narrow, 2-lobed to about middle; awn 1–2 cm. Anthers 2.5–3 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug–Nov.

This species is common in the hills of S India and Sri Lanka, where it forms dense tussocks of narrow leaves with velvety, dark reddish brown basal sheaths. The culms are wiry, and bear brown, densely golden-villous racemes.

Grassy hillsides. Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan [S India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].