小叶荩草 xiao ye jin cao

Andropogon lancifolius Trinius, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2: 271. 1833; Arthraxon microphyllus (Trinius) Hochstetter var. lancifolius (Trinius) Hackel; A. mollis (Nees) Duthie; A. schimperi (Hochstetter ex A. Richard) Hochstetter; Batratherum lancifolium (Trinius) W. Watson; B. molle Nees; Lucaea schimperi (Hochstetter ex A. Richard) Steudel; Pleuroplitis lancifolia (Trinius) Regel; Psilopogon schimperi Hochstetter ex A. Richard.

Annual, delicate. Culms loosely tufted, very slender, decumbent, much branched, up to 30 cm long, glabrous or pubescent. Leaf sheaths loose, margin ciliate; leaf blades elliptic to narrowly ovate, thin, flaccid, 0.5–4 cm × 2–9 mm, puberulent to densely pubescent, often with scattered tubercle-based hairs, base cordate, basal margins pectinate-setose, apex setaceously acuminate; ligule 0.7–1.5 mm. Racemes 2–9, 1–2.5 cm; rachis internodes 1/2 length of sessile spikelets, margins silky ciliate, hairs increasing to 1.5–2.5 mm at apex. Sessile spikelet 2–3.3 mm; lower glume linear, strongly convex, margins not inflexed, veins indistinct in lower part, scaberulous toward apex, apex finely 2-toothed; upper glume extended into 0.5–1.5 mm apical mucro; awn 4–8 mm; palea absent. Anthers 2, 0.5–0.7 mm. Pedicelled spikelet usually present at least at raceme apex, lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm, sterile, usually composed of 2 empty glumes. Fl. and fr. Sep–Nov. 2n = 18, 36.

Damp rocky places on mountain slopes. Guizhou, Sichuan, Yun-nan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; E Africa, SW Asia (S Arabia)].

Young inflorescences should be examined for pedicelled spikelets, as these may be present only at the tips of the racemes and soon disarticulate.