Eulalia leschenaultiana (Decne.) Ohwi

Locally this is found in the Hengchun Peninsula on dry exposed hillslopes.

This species is unusual in lacking a lower lemma. The purple stigmas are exserted at the apex of the spikelet, rather than laterally which is more usual, and are an obvious feature of the racemes.

A variant occurs in N India and Nepal with smaller spikelets (2.5–3 mm) and slightly swollen culm bases with white-hairy basal sheaths. This has been described as Pollinia cumingii Nees var. parviflora Hackel. It may occur in adjacent parts of China.

Andropogon leschenaultianus Decne., Herb. Timor. Descr. 29. 1835. Culm slender, basal part slightly creeping, rhizomatous. Blade about 10 cm long by 2 mm wide; ligule about 0.5 mm long, fimbriate. Inflorescence of a single raceme, about 3 cm long. Spikelets paired, monomorphic; the upper pedicellate, the lower sessile, about 3.5 mm long, lower glume subcoriaceous, inrolled, margins fimbriate, 7-nerved, densely covered with long hairs on the back, fimbriate at the apex, as long as the spikelet. Upper glume of the same texture and shape as the lower, short hairy on backside, 3-nerved; lemma chartaceous, about 1 mm long, 2-cleft, aristate, awn flexuous, about 11 mm long, hispid towards base. Caryopsis cylindrical, about 1.6 mm long; embryo 1/2 the length of the caryopsis.

Perennial, forming tufts on long trailing stolons; basal sheaths glabrous. Culms very slender, 0.3–0.7 m tall, ca. 1 mm in diam., usually pilose below inflorescence, lower nodes bearded. Leaf sheaths ciliate along margin, bearded at mouth; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 4–10 × 0.2–0.4 cm, glabrous or thinly hispid with tubercle-based hairs, apex acute; ligule ca. 0.5 mm, ciliolate. Racemes 1–3, solitary or digitate, 3–8 cm, hairs golden brown; rachis internodes and pedicels ca. 2/3 spikelet length, ciliate. Sessile spikelet 3–4 mm, golden brown; callus hairs 1/4 spikelet length; lower glume narrowly oblong, ± leathery, back flat, densely villous except below apex, obscurely 1–2-veined between keels, connected by veinlets below apex, apex broadly truncate, densely ciliolate; lower lemma absent; upper lemma oblanceolate, 2-toothed in upper 1/4, teeth ciliate; awn 8–15 mm, column pubescent. Anthers 1.7–2 mm. Fl. and fr. autumn.

Plains of upper India, Nepal, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Micronesia, Australia.

Distributed in India, Malaysia, the Philippines and South China.

300-700 m

Dry exposed hillsides. Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Taiwan [Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

Andropogon leschenaultianus Decaisne, Nouv. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 3: 357. 1834; A. aureofulvus Steudel; Eulalia cumin-gii (Nees) A. Camus; Pollinia cumingii Nees.