小獐毛 xiao zhang mao

Culms erect or decumbent, usually branched at base, 5–25 cm tall, scabrid or puberulous below inflorescence. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades flat or involute, 0.5–6 × ca. 0.15 cm, glabrous or adaxial surface hirsute, abaxial surface pilose; ligule very short, margin ciliate. Inflorescence spikelike, 2–7 × 0.3–0.5 cm; racemes solitary, rather spaced, strictly distichous, spikelets also distichous on the raceme rachis. Spikelets 2–4 mm, florets (2–)4–8; glumes ovate, laxly ciliate or nearly glabrous; lower glume 1–2 mm; upper glume 1.5–2.5 mm; lemmas ovate, lowest 1.5–3 mm, 5–9-veined, margins membranous and ciliate, apex cuspidate; palea equal to lemma, keels ciliolate, apex truncate or emarginate. Anthers ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May–Aug.

Sandy places on alkaline soils, desert sands. Gansu, Xinjiang [India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, Europe].

Aeluropus pungens differs from typical A. littoralis by its somewhat shorter lemmas with membranous, ciliate margins.