纤维马唐 xian wei ma tang

Panicum fibrosum Hackel, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 51: 330. 1901; Digitaria fibrosa var. yunnanensis (Henrard) L. Liu; D. yun-nanensis Henrard.

Perennial forming a dense tussock. Culms surrounded at base by fibrous remains of old leaf sheaths, erect, 30–50 cm tall. Leaf sheaths pilose to hirsute; leaf blades linear, flat, up to 25 × 0.25–0.4 cm, subglabrous, pilose or hirsute, apex acuminate; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence subdigitate, axis usually glabrous, hairy in hirsute specimens; racemes 2–4, suberect, 4–11 cm; spikelets paired or ternate, loosely arranged; rachis slenderly triquetrous, not winged; pedicels tips slightly swollen. Spikelets oblong-lanceolate, 2.8–3.3 mm, pilose with white or brownish, minutely capitate hairs; lower glume very small, subrounded; upper glume ca. 4/5 as long as spikelet but narrow, 3-veined, pilose; lower lemma as long as spikelet, 7-veined, hairiness variable, usually glabrous and purple-tinged on either side of midvein, 2nd intervein space and margins usually pilose, rarely pilose throughout; upper lemma dark brown to purplish black. Fl. and fr. May–Aug.

Mountain grasslands. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan [Laos, Myanmar, Thailand].

Digitaria fibrosa is sometimes included in D. setifolia Stapf. Both have an identical habit, inflorescence, and spikelet structure, but D. seti-folia has narrower, inrolled, filiform leaves and is confined to South Africa. Digitaria fibrosa is maintained here on account of this difference and the disjunct distribution.

This is the only species in China with a tussocky, fibrous base. Hairiness of the leaves and spikelets is variable, but the loose, narrowly ascending racemes of rather large spikelets with dark fertile florets are easily recognizable.