直芒草 zhi mang cao

Stipa roylei (Nees) Duthie.

Loosely tufted, shortly rhizomatous. Culms 40–60 cm tall, 3–5-noded. Leaf sheaths glabrous, mostly longer than internodes; leaf blades flat (inrolled when dry), 15–30 cm, 2–3 mm wide, abaxial surface smooth, scabrid toward apex, adaxial surface pubescent; ligule oblong-lanceolate, up to 5 mm. Panicle linear, 10–20 cm; branches single or lower paired, up to 7 cm, smooth. Spikelets green or tinged purplish; lower glume 5–8 mm, upper glume 7–11 mm, smooth; callus 0.5–0.7 mm; lemma 9–10 mm, loosely pubescent in lower 1/4–1/2; awn 1.3–1.7 cm, stiffly hispid at base, hairs 0.5–0.8 mm, scabrid above. Anthers 2–3 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug–Oct.

Open grassy mountainsides, forest clearings; 2700 m and above.

Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, N India, Kashmir, N Myanmar, Nepal].

The long, retrorse spines at the lemma apex are an unmistakable distinguishing feature of this species.