蒲苇 pu wei

Arundo selloana Schultes & J. H. Schultes, Mant. 3: 605. 1827.

Perennial forming large tussocks. Culms robust, 2–3 m tall. Leaf blades stiff, 50–200 cm, 4–10 mm wide, glaucous, margins sharply serrulate, apex acuminate; ligule 2–4 mm. Panicle 30–100 cm, silvery or sometimes pinkish; branches erecto-patent in bisexual, patent in female plants. Spikelets dimorphic, florets 2–5; glumes linear or lanceolate, acuminate; lemmas 3-veined, gradually tapering to an entire apex continuing into a slender awn. Female spikelets: glumes 8–9 mm; lemmas 8–14 mm, densely silky villous; palea 2.5–3 mm; minute staminodes present. Male spikelets:glumes 9–18 mm; lemmas 11–17 mm, sparsely pilose; palea 4–6 mm.

Cultivated. Jiangsu, Taiwan, Zhejiang [native to South America].

This species is widely cultivated as an ornamental (Pampas Grass). The sharply serrulate leaf margins cut skin very easily.