Aristida brevissima L. Liu

Perennial forming small tough tussocks. Culms erect, 15–30 cm tall, unbranched. Leaves mainly basal; leaf sheaths glabrous except for ca. 2 mm hairs at mouth, shorter than internodes, tightly overlapping; leaf blades involute, needle-like, 4–8 cm, abaxial surface smooth, adaxial surface scabrid. Panicle narrow, 7–13 cm; branches short, few-spiculate, paired. Spikelets yellowish green; glumes equal or upper slightly longer, 10–11 mm, narrowly lanceolate, smooth, glabrous, 1-veined; callus ca. 0.6 mm, obtuse; lemma 8–9 mm, streaked blackish, punctately scabrid, awns arising directly from lemma apex, very reduced; central awn ca. 2 mm, lateral awns vestigial, 0.1–0.4 mm. Anthers 3–4 mm. Fl. Aug.

Xizang, Yunnan.

* Mountain slopes; 3000–3100 m.