大类芦 da lei lu

Aristida arundinacea Linnaeus, Mant. 2: 186. 1771.

Perennial, robust, caespitose from a short woody scaly rhizome. Culms erect, 2–4 m tall, up to 10 mm in diam., often fasciculately branched, many-noded, somewhat glaucous. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades mostly involute, 20–60 × 0.4–1 cm, glabrous, apex filiform; ligule 1–2 mm. Panicle ample, dense, glistening, 30–80 cm, branches slender, nodding; pedicels 1–4 mm. Spikelets 6–9 mm, florets 5–7, all fertile; glumes light brown, glabrous, subequal, 2–3 mm, acute; lemmas pallid or purplish, 3.5–4.5 mm, lateral veins ciliate with white, soft, ca. 2 mm hairs; awn recurved, 1.5–2.5 mm.

Hainan [NW India, Pakistan, Thailand; Africa, Mascarenes].

This species is very similar to Neyraudia reynaudiana, but is slightly more robust and with all the florets fertile.