Sporobolus hancei Rendle

It is found in littoral regions.

Culm erect, trufted. Blade about 7 cm long by 1.5 mm wide, linear; ligule minute, less than 0.2 mm long, upper part minutely funbriate. Inflorescence a small contracted panicle, about 7 mm long. Spikelets 1-flowered, about 2 mm long; glumes chartaceous, lanceolate, inconspicuously 1-nerved; the lower glume, 1.4-1.8 mm long; the upper glume about 2 mm long; lemma and palea of the same texture with the glume; lemma lanceolate, about 1.6 mm long, nerveless; palea boat-shaped, inconspicuously 2-nerved. Fruit an utricle, reddish-brown; about 1 mm long, bilaterally compressed, biconvex in cross-section; embryo 1/2 the length of the utricle.

Perennial. Culms tufted slender, erect, 10–50 cm tall, unbranched. Leaf sheaths laxly overlapping, glabrous or loosely ciliate at mouth; leaf blades narrowly linear and flat near ligule becoming involute toward apex, or acicular throughout, 3–12 cm × 0.5–2 mm, adaxial surface puberulous, abaxial surface glabrous; ligule very shortly hairy or obscure. Panicle laxly contracted to open, 4–12 × 0.5–1(–3) cm; branches verticillate or paired, 0.7–2 cm, suberect to spreading, spiculate to base; pedicels short, smooth or scabridulous. Spikelets glistening, thinly membranous, pale purplish, lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm; glumes slightly unequal; lower glume lanceolate, 2/3–3/4 spikelet length, veinless, apex acute or obtuse; upper glume ovate, as long as spikelet, 1-veined, acute; lemma ovate, as long as spikelet, 1-veined, acute; palea subequaling lemma. Anthers 3, 0.8–1 mm. Grain red-brown, elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Mar–May.

Distributed in southern China and Taiwan

Grassy hillsides, dry places on poor soil. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangsu, Taiwan [Japan (Ryukyu Islands)].