Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch.

Description

Imperata cylindrica is a perennial rhizomatous grass, usually 50–150 cm tall, forming dense colonies through vigorous underground rhizomes. Culms are erect, cylindrical, and usually unbranched. Leaves are linear, stiff, and narrow, generally 30–100 cm long and 5–20 mm wide. Leaf blades have sharp margins and a prominent midrib. Leaf sheaths are smooth, and the ligule is membranous. The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical silky-white panicle, usually 5–20 cm long. Spikelets are surrounded by silky hairs, producing a characteristic fluffy appearance during flowering. Flowers are small, bisexual, and wind-pollinated. The fruit is a small caryopsis with hairy appendages aiding wind dispersal.

Distribution

Phenology

Ethnobotany & Uses

Where it grows on campus