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• Miscanthus sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis — Chinese silvergrass

Facts

Chinese silvergrass, an exotic species, has been found in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and has escaped from cultivation into disturbed areas. This very large grass is a favorite ornamental. In its native Japan, it is often the dominant species in grasslands. Although it can multiply by rhizomes, its growth form tends to be clumped, unlike its congener, M. sacchariflorus. It can hybridize with its congener to form Miscanthus × giganteus. There is concern, particularly in southeastern states, that this species has high potential to become invasive.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther number

  0–3

  Awn on glume

  the glume has no awn

  Floret lower bract texture

  the lemma is thin and flexible

  Glume relative length

  one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets

  Glume veins

  • 3
  • 5

  Inflorescence arrangement

  the spikelets are uniform

  Inflorescence axis orientation

  • the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
  • the inflorescence axis is straight

  Inflorescence branches

  the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence

  Inflorescence length

  150–250 mm

  Inflorescence type (general)

  the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches

  Inflorescence type (specific)

  the inflorescence has pairs (or trios) of spikelets that are similar to each other in structure and size, with at least one of the spikelets on a stalk

  Lemma awn base

  the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma

  Lemma awn length

  0–12 mm

  Lemma awn number

  • the lemma has no awn
  • the lemma has one awn on it

  Lemma base hair length

  3.5–12 mm

  Lemma base hairs

  the lemma has hairs at the base

  Lemma cross-section

  the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint

  Lemma surface

  the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)

  Lemma vein number

  • 0
  • 1
  • 3

  One or more florets

  there is one floret per spikelet

  Spikelet axis tip

  there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet

  Spikelet disintegration

  the spikelet breaks off below the glumes

  Spikelet length

  3.5–7 mm

  Spikelet pedicel

  the spikelets have pedicels

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

  Upper glume shape

  the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

• Growth form

  Roots

  the plant has rhizomes (horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)

• Leaves

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf blade width

  6–20 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  1–2 mm

  Leaf ligule type

  the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs

  Leaf sheath closed around stem

  the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)

  Leaf sheath hairs

  • there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright

  Stem spacing

  the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae