阿尔泰草 a er tai qia cao

Koeleria eriostachya Pančić var. altaica Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 14(65): 163. 1907.

Perennial, densely tufted or shortly rhizomatous; old basal sheaths encircling 2 or 3 culms together into bunches, finally splitting into fibers. Culms slender, 13–50 cm tall, pubescent below panicle, otherwise glabrous. Leaf sheaths densely pubescent at base, upper culm sheaths subglabrous; leaf blades usually rolled, hard, recurved, 2–13 cm, 0.5–2.5 mm wide, hirsute or sometimes glabrous; ligule 1–2 mm.Panicle 2–3 cm, very dense, lower part interrupted, yellowish green or tinged grayish violet. Spikelets 3.5–5 mm, florets 2(–3); glumes unequal, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, appressed pilose, keel ciliate, lower glume 3–3.5 mm, upper glume 4–4.5 mm; lemmas lanceolate, ca. 4.5 mm, shortly pilose, apex mucronate. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul.

Dry stony grassy hills. Nei Mongol, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan (Tarbagatai Mountains), Mongolia, Russia (S Siberia)].

This is a good forage grass.