Eragrostis harpachnoides Hackel, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 52: 306. 1902.

Culms 15–30 cm tall, ca. 1 mm in diam., 3–4-noded. Leaf sheaths pilose along margins and at mouth, otherwise glabrous; leaf blades stiff, narrowly linear or involute, 2–9 × 0.1–0.2 cm, glabrous, apex acute; ligule ca. 0.5 mm. Inflorescence 3–7 × ca. 1.5 cm; rachis pilose; pedicels 1.5–3 mm. Spikelets narrowly oblong to elliptic-oblong, 4–8 × 1.5–2.5 mm, florets 4–8, imbri-cate, slightly decreasing in length toward spikelet apex; glumes linear-oblong, keel scabrid; lower glume 1–1.5 mm, truncate; upper glume 2–2.5 mm, obtuse; lemmas lanceolate with straight keel, lowest ca. 2.5 mm, minutely puberulous, apex abruptly acute to apiculate; palea keels winged, wing margins ciliolate, apex obtuse. Anthers 0.5–1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Nov.

The other two species of Harpachne occur in tropical Africa and have longer spikelets (8–20 mm). The common H. schimperi A. Richard is clearly distinguished from H. harpachnoides by its wedge-shaped spikelets, in which the lemmas increase in length upward with acuminate-aristate tips.

* Open places. Sichuan, Yunnan.