小草 xiao cao

Perennial, or sometimes annual. Culms tufted, usually densely, very slender, wiry, up to 60 cm tall. Basal leaf sheaths disintegrating into fibers; leaf blades very narrowly linear, 1–6 cm, ca. 1 mm wide, adaxial surface usually with long scattered hairs, margins scabrous, midrib and submarginal veinsthickened, apex obtuse; ligule 0.1–0.3 mm. Raceme (3–)5–20(–25) cm, falcate when dry; rachis shortly ciliate on margins or glabrous. Spikelets light green, lanceolate, 1.6–4 mm, acute; lower glume slightly asymmetrical; lemma 1.5–3 mm, mucronate. Caryopsis ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Oct.

Dry open places, on very stony soils, rock crevices; sea level to 2500 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan [throughout the tropics].