Elymus purpurascens (Keng) S. L. Chen

Löve (Feddes Repert. 95: 448. 1984) did not previously validly publish the combination Elymus purpurascens; see the note following the genus description above.

Culms laxly tufted, erect or slightly decumbent at base, 60–90 cm tall, rigid. Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous; leaf blade involute, 11–22 × 0.3–0.6 cm, stiff, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface scabrous or pubescent, margin scabrous. Spike nodding, 13–15 cm, with 8–13 spikelets. Spikelets 1 per node, purplish in part, 1.5–2.3 cm excluding awns, with 4–7 florets. Glumes oblong-lanceolate, 5–8 mm, 5-veined, scabrous, apex acute; proximal glume sometimes shorter and 3-veined. Lemma lanceolate, scabrous or hirsutulous abaxially; first lemma 9–11 mm; awn reflexed, purplish, robust, 18–28 mm, scabrous. Palea subequaling lemma, shortly ciliolate along keels distally, puberulent between keels. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul. 2n = 28*, 42*.

* Mountain slopes. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Yunnan.

Basionym: Roegneria purpurascens Keng, Acta Univ. Nankin. Sci. Nat. 1963(1): 56. 1963.