蔗甜茅 zhe tian mao

Glyceria fluitans (Linnaeus) R. Brown var. plicata Fries; G. plicata (Fries) Fries; G. turcomanica Komarov.

Perennial, forming loose patches. Culms spongy, ascending from prostrate base, rooting at lower nodes, 30–100 cm tall, 3–6 mm in diam. Leaf sheaths keeled, scabrid in upper part, longer than internodes; leaf blades flat or folded, flaccid, green or gray-green, 6–30 cm × 4–10 mm, abaxial surface smooth or scabrid, adaxial surface scabrid, apex acute; ligule 3–6 mm. Panicle lanceolate at first, ovate at maturity, up to 30 cm; branches 3–5 at lower nodes, finally widely spreading, longer branches bearing up to 15 spikelets. Spikelets linear-oblong, cylindrical or slightly laterally compressed, 1–2.5 cm, florets 5–16, grayish green or purplish; glumes ovate, membranous, 1-veined, lower glume 1.4–2.3 mm, upper glume 2.5–4 mm, apex rounded; lemmas broadly elliptic or obovate-oblong, 3.5–4.5 mm, firmly herbaceous, scabrid, 7-veined, apex membranous, broadly obtuse; palea as long as lemma, keels narrowly winged, apex 2-denticulate. Stamens 3, anthers 0.8–1.4 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug. 2n = 40.

Moist grassy places, ditches, shallow water; 700–1900 m. Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan (Karachi), Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe; introduced in North America and Australia].