Pollinia pallens Hackel in A. Candolle & C. Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 6: 156. 1889.

Perennial, densely tufted from a short rhizome; basal sheaths glabrous. Culms hard, 0.4–1 m tall, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam., glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous, lower longer and upper shorter than internodes; leaf blades tough, narrow, involute, pale green, lower 25–40 × 0.2–0.3 cm (when flattened), abaxial surface smooth, glabrous, adaxial surface strongly ribbed, hirsute, margin scabrid; ligule very short, densely ciliolate. Racemes 3–11, subdigitate, 6–13 cm, hairs white; rachis internodes and pedicels 1/2–3/4 spikelet length, ciliate. Sessile spikelet 3.5–4.5 mm, pallid; callus hairs 1/8 spikelet length; lower glume oblong-lanceolate, membranous, back slightly concave, villous except near apex, veinless between keels, upper keels smooth or pectinate-scabrid, apex narrowly truncate or 2-toothed; upper glume apex with 2–2.5 mm awn; upper lemma narrow, 2-toothed in upper 1/4; awn ca. 1 cm, column ciliolate. Anthers purplish black, 1.8–2 mm. Fl. and fr. Oct–Nov.

This is a distinctive species, clearly differing from others in China by its tough, inrolled leaf blades and awned upper glume. The blackish anthers are striking among the white raceme hairs.

Grassy places. NW Guangxi, S and W Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan [NE India].