Eragrostis nutans (Retz.) Nees ex Steud.

This species is frequently confused with Eragrostis gangetica (Roxburgh) Steudel, which is an annual.

Culm erect. Blade linear, about 10 cm long by 1.5 mm wide; sheath-mouth, with long silky hairs; ligule about 0.3 mm long, fringed. Inflorescence a small panicle, about 10 cm long. Spikelets several-flowered, usually 12-flowered, about 6 mm long, by 1.5-2 mm wide; glumes chartaceous, 1-nerved, broadly lanceolate; the lower glume as long as the upper; lemma ovate, chartaceous, 3-nerved, about 1.6 mm long; palea the same texture and length as the lemma, 2 keeled, scabrous along keels; anther about 0.8 mm long. Caryopsis about 0.7 mm long, elliptical; embryo 1/2 the length of the caryopsis.

Perennial. Culms erect, 30–60 cm. Leaf sheaths long silky hairs along summit; ligules fringed, ca. 0.3 mm; leaf blades 6–12 × 0.15–0.3 cm. Panicle contracted, spikelike, 7–14 × 1.5–3 (–5) cm; branches naked at lower part, ascending, glabrous in axils, lower branches (1.5–)3–8 cm. Spikelets 3–6 × 1–2 mm, usually (3–)5–12-flowered. Glumes chartaceous, broadly lanceolate to ovate, subequal, 1-veined. Lemmas 1.6–2 mm, ovate, chartaceous. Palea the same texture and length as lemma, 2-keeled, scabrous to ciliolate along keels. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 0.8 mm. Caryopsis ellipsoid, ca. 0.7 mm; embryo 1/2 length of the caryopsis.

Himalaya, India, S. China, Malaysia.

Distributed in India and China.

700-2000 m

Open, moist places, roadsides. Guangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Philippines].

Poa nutans Retz. Obs. Bot. 4: 19, 1786.

Poa nutans Retzius, Observ. Bot. 4: 19. 1786; Eragrostis guangxiensis S. C. Sun & H. Q. Wang.