羊胡子草 yang hu zi cao

Rhizomes long, slender. Culms solitary, scattered, erect, 8-30[-70] cm tall, ± stout, terete. Basal leaves with leaf blade narrowly linear, channeled at base. Apicalmost cauline leaf with a narrow sheath, slightly inflated in apical part and with a very short blade. Involucral bract glumelike, broadly ovate, larger than glumes, apex subobtuse to shortly acuminate. Inflorescences reduced to a single terminal erect spikelet. Spikelet broadly obovoid to subglobose and 0.8-1.2 cm in flower, compressed globose, very dense, and 2-2.5 cm in fruit. Glumes dark gray to blackish, narrowly lanceolate, margin usually whitish and narrow, apex long acuminate. Perianth bristles 10 or more, pure white, ca. 2 cm. Stamens 3; anthers 0.5-1.5 mm. Style slender; stigmas 3. Nutlet oblong, ca. 2 × 0.5 mm, apex with a subulate beak. Fl. and fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 58.

Swampy meadows; 2200-3000 m. Xinjiang [Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia; Europe, North America].

No specimen from China has been seen by the present authors.