Miscanthus nepalensis (Trin.) Hack.

Tall robust clumps. Leaf-sheath stiff, ± keeled, often conspicuously purple, with scattered long silky hairs, more densely hairy below collar. Ligule 2–3.5 mm, membranous, obtuse, short-ciliate. Leaf-blade 20–60 cm × 4–10 mm, stiff, flat or folded, gradually tapering, midrib pale green, conspicuous below, abaxially with scattered fine hairs, adaxially glabrous; margins closely, finely scabrid, tip very finely acute. Culm 40–80 cm, stiff, purple-green to yellow-green, nodes purplish, internodes with long fine silky hairs below panicle. Panicle 10–20 cm, golden brown, ± fan-shaped; rachis long silky hairy. Racemes 3.5–10.5 cm, numerous, silky, » panicle rachis. Spikelets numerous; florets ¼-⅓ length of soft, brownish cream, spreading involucral hairs; pedicels purplish, short pedicels = spikelets, long pedicels » spikelets, ± 3-angled. Glumes 1.6–2.8 mm, ± equal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, brownish, finely mucronate or entire, minutely scabrid above on nerves and often purple towards hyaline tip; lower 3–(5)-nerved, margins ciliate, upper 1–(3)-nerved. Lower floret Ø: lemma 1.6–2.6 mm, lanceolate, acute, sparsely, finely prickle-toothed at centre. Upper floret ☿: lemma 1.6–2.2 mm; awn 8.5–11 mm; palea 1–1.5 mm, apex sometimes irregularly bifid; lodicules 0; anthers 1–1.4 mm; gynoecium: ovary 0.5–0.7 mm, stigma-styles 2.6–3 mm; caryopsis 1–1.5 mm. Fig. 24.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]