倒刺蒺藜草 dao ci ji li cao

Perennial. Culms somewhat bulbous at base, geniculately ascending, 20–60 cm tall. Leaf sheaths keeled, scabrous; leaf blades linear, 2–20 × 0.4–0.8 cm, adaxial surface pilose with long scattered hairs; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence rather stiff, 4–12 × 0.6–0.7 cm, burrs overlapping by about half their length, rachis scabro-puberulous. Burrs broadly oblong with rounded base, 0.3–0.7 cm, subsessile; inner spines connate for 1/4–1/2 their length forming a tough cupule, flattened free tips narrowly triangular, erect, antrorsely scaberulous with a broad green groove on outer face, inner face shortly ciliate; outer spines very short or almost suppressed, reduced to bristles around periphery of cupule. Spikelets 1–4 in burr, 3.5–5 mm; lower glume 1/2 spikelet length; upper glume 4/5 spikeletlength. 2n = 34, 36.

Introduced and cultivated for fodder. Yunnan (Honghe) [native to NW India, Pakistan; E and NE Africa, SW Asia].