Cleistogenes kokonorica K. S. Hao, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 68: 582. 1938; Diplachne kokonorica (K. S. Hao) Conert; Kengia kokonorica (K. S. Hao) Packer.

Culms erect, (20–)30–50 cm tall, smooth or scabrid. Leaf sheaths glabrous, scabrid or rarely hirtellous; leaf blades stiff, usually involute, 4–9 × 0.2–0.3 cm, scabrid or hirtellous on both surfaces, apex long acuminate; ligule lacerate, 0.5–1 mm. Panicle 4–7(–19) cm, very narrow; racemes inserted singly, erect, bearing (3–)4–6(–11) spikelets. Spikelets 7–8.5 mm, florets (2–)3–5, rachilla puberulous, internodes 1–1.5 mm; glumes lanceolate, dorsally black-purple, margins membranous, yellowish brown, glabrous; lower glume 3.5–5 mm, acute; upper glume 4.5–6 mm, acute or obtuse; lemmas thin, dorsally black-brown but yellow-brown at base and apex, lowest 5–5.5 mm, margins and lower keel loosely pilose, apex denticulate, middle vein exserted into a short mucro; palea keels ciliolate, loosely puberulous on outer flaps, apex acute or emarginate. Callus laterally puberulous. Anthers ca. 3 mm. Caryopsis narrowly oblong. Fl. Aug.

This is an excellent sand-binding grass.

* Dry mountain slopes, steppe; 3000–3500 m. Gansu, Qinghai.