Stenotaphrum helferi Munro ex Hook. fil.

Perennial. Culms stoloniferous, flowering shoots 10–40 cm tall. Leaf sheaths loose, laterally compressed, keeled, glabrous; leaf blades broadly linear, 5–17 × 0.5–1.1 cm, glabrous, base truncate, apex abruptly acute; ligule ca. 0.3 mm. Inflorescence 10–15 cm; axis with foliaceous wing, 3–5 mm wide, midrib sharply triquetrous with scabrous margins; racemes 7–18 mm, appressed within the curves of the midrib, bearing 3–7 spikelets, lowest racemes free; raceme rachis triquetrous, margins spinulose. Spikelets ovate-lanceolate, dorsally flattened, 4–4.5 mm, strongly veined, acuminate; glumes herbaceous, acute; lower glume broadly ovate, 1/2–2/3 as long as spikelet, (3–)5–7-veined; upper glume as long as spikelet, 9–11-veined; lower floret staminate or neuter, lemma firmly herbaceous, 7-veined, palea well developed; upper lemma coriaceous, smooth, cuspidate-mucronate, tardily deciduous. Fl. and fr. autumn.

Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan [Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam].

Moist lawns, forest edges, open forests; below 1100 m.