Scented Grass is a perennial herb forming tough
bunches. Stems are robust, up to 1.5 m tall, rough below panicle. Leaf
sheaths are strongly keeled at base; leaf blades linear, glaucous, up
to 30 x 0.2-0.4 cm, sparsely to densely bristly with tubercle-based
hairs or hairless, tip pointed to tapering. Flower-panicles are open to
contracted, 6-25 cm, purplish; branches stiffly ascending to loosely
spreading, 3-15 cm, tipped by a single triad or also with 1-4 spikelet
pairs below the triad. Stalkless spikelet about 7 mm. Upper lemma is
minutely 2-toothed, awned; awn geniculate, 1.2-3.5 cm, column finely
velvet-hairy. Stalked spikelet staminate, 7-11 mm; lower glume with
3.5-7 mm awn. Flower-stalk 2/3–3/4 length of stalkless spikelet,
hairless. Scented Grass is found on mountain slopes in the Himalayas,
from HImachal to NE India, at altitudes of 800-2900 m. It is also found
in S. Europe and N. Africa.
Identification credit: Manoj Chandran
Photographed in Chakrata, Uttarakhand.
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The flower labeled Scented Grass is ...