Miscanthus paniculatus (B. S. Sun) S. L. Chen & Renvoize

This is a distinctive species easily recognized by its reduced inflorescence. The spikelets are typical of Miscanthus, and for this reason the recognition of the separate genus Rubimons is unjustified.

Plant rhizomatous. Culms 30–100 cm tall, 3–4 mm in diam., 3–4-noded, nodes puberulous. Leaf sheaths slightly compressed, usually shorter than internodes, glabrous, ciliate at apex; leaf blades linear, flat, 10–40 × 0.2–0.8 cm, glabrous or pilose, narrowed to midrib toward base, apex acuminate; ligule 0.5–1.5 mm, ciliate, obtuse. Panicle 5–15 cm; axis glabrous. Racemes short, 2–6 cm, appressed. Spikelets lanceolate, 5–6 mm, awned; callus hairs 0.5–2 mm; glumes unequal; lowerglume ca. 5 mm, back scabrid, pilose, obscurely 2–3-veined between 2 keels, or veinless, keels hispidulous, upper margin pilose, apex 2-lobed or 2-toothed; upper glume ca. 6 mm, obscurely 3–5-veined or veinless, scabrid, margins pilose, apex acuminate; lower lemma linear-lanceolate, 4.5–6 mm, 3–5-veined, puberulous; upper lemma ca. 5 mm, 1–3-veined, margins pilose, apex acuminate, awned; awn ca. 2 mm, straight. Anthers 3, ca. 3 mm. Caryopsis oblong.

W Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan.

* Dry mountain slopes; 2500–3100 m.

Rubimons paniculatus B. S. Sun, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 19: 239. 1997.