Ehrharta villosa

Rhizomatous perennial, culms erect, cane-like, to 1.3 m high, rooting from lower nodes, often strongly purple-pigmented near upper nodes. Leaf-blades erect, involute, to 10 cm long and 8 mm broad when unrolled, often reduced to short points or absent toward inflorescence; sheaths closely enveloping stem; ligules a densely ciliate rim 1–2 mm long. Inflorescence a slender panicle, 10–20 cm long. Spikelets 12–16 mm long, remaining semi-erect; glumes subequal, acute, about three-quarters as long as spikelet, often purplish, glabrous or rarely with a few hairs near base; sterile lemmas subequal, copiously covered with spreading silky hairs, each with an apical awn 1–2 mm long; fertile lemma about equal to body of sterile lemmas, variably covered with semi-appressed silky hairs. Flowers Oct.–Feb.