Helictotrichon altius (Hitchc.) Ohwi

This is an element of the Helictotrichon junghuhnii complex, mainly distinguished by the hairy culm nodes.

Perennial, shortly rhizomatous. Culms erect from shortly decumbent base, solitary or few, 1–1.2 m tall, 3–4-noded, nodes pubescent. Leaf sheaths usually shorter than internodes, densely puberulous or basal sheaths glabrous; leaf blades broadly linear, flat, ca. 15 cm, 3–8 mm wide, abaxial surface pubescent, scabrid, adaxial surface pilose, or sometimes glabrous; ligule truncate or erose, 1–2 mm, margin ciliolate. Panicle loose, lanceolate to oblong in outline, 10–20 cm; branches 4–6 per node, ascending, slender, often flexuous, up to 7 cm, scabrid, lower part bare, upper part bearing 1–3 spikelets. Spikelets 0.8–1.4 cm, yellowish green or purplish green, florets 3–4(–5); rachilla hairs 2–3 mm; glumes thinly membranous, lower glume 4–7 mm, 1-veined, upper glume 8–11 mm, 3-veined; lemmas leathery, lowest ca. 9 mm, 5–7-veined, smooth; awn 1–1.5 cm, geniculate, column twisted, terete; palea keels ciliolate. Anthers 4–5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.

Gansu, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Qinghai, Sichuan.

* Moist grassy slopes, under shrubs, Picea forests; 2000–4000 m.

Avena altior Hitchcock, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 43: 96. 1930; Avenastrum trisetoides Kitagawa.