矮赤箭莎 ai chi jian suo

Annuals or short-lived perennials, slender. Roots fibrous. Culms tufted, 20-40 cm tall, 0.5-1 mm thick, mostly 2-nodose, smooth. Leaves basal and cauline. Cauline leaves 2, shorter than culm; sheath reddish purple, 1-2 cm; leaf blade capillary, ca. 0.5 mm wide. Involucral bracts surpassing inflorescence; sheath reddish purple, 0.5-1 cm. Inflorescences consisting of 2-5 distant corymbiform partial panicles, each bearing several sessile and shortly pedunculate spikelets; partial panicles 0.8-1.5 cm and as broad. Spikelets reddish brown, narrowly ovoid, 4-6 mm, flattened, 1- or 2(or 3)-flowered. Glumes sanguineous with pale margin, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3-4 mm, papery, apex obtuse; basal 2 or 3 glumes empty, rather short. Perianth bristles 6, ca. 2 mm, antrorsely scabrous. Stamens 3. Style ca. 1.5 mm, base glabrous; stigmas 3, as long as style. Nutlet whitish, globose-obovoid, ca. 1 mm, obtusely 3-sided, sides convex, shiny, and minutely reticulate. Fl. and fr. May.

Moist coastal grasslands; near sea level. W Taiwan (Taizhong) [Japan, Vietnam; Australia].

This is a very rare species in Taiwan with only one collection at the TAI herbarium, collected in May 1906 and obtained from the MAK herbarium.