Miscanthus sinensis

South American Elephant Grass
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Panicoideae
Genus:	Miscanthus
Species:	M. sinensis
Binomial name
Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.

Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese silver grass, Eulalia grass, maiden grass, zebra grass, Susuki grass, porcupine grass; syn. Eulalia japonica Trin., Miscanthus sinensis f. glaber Honda, Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc., Miscanthus sinensis var. variegatus Beal, Miscanthus sinensis var. zebrinus Beal, Saccharum japonicum Thunb.) is a grass native to eastern Asia throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.

Growth

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 0.8–2 m (rarely 4 m) tall, forming dense clumps from an underground rhizome. The leaves are 18–75 cm tall and 0.3–2 cm broad. The flowers are purplish, held above the foliage.

Cultivation

It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions around the world.

It has become an invasive species in parts of North America.^[1] However, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of escape or hybridization with extant wild M. sinensis populations with breeding and proper management. ^[2]

Cultivars

Several cultivars have been selected, including Stricta with narrow growth habit, Variegata with white margins, and Zebrina with horizontal yellow and green stripes across the leaves.

• Miscanthus sinensis 'Border Bandit'
• M. sinensis 'Dronning Ingrid'
• M. sinensis 'Gracillimus'
• M. sinensis 'Malepartus'
• M. sinensis 'Morning Light'
• M. sinensis 'Variegatus'
• M. sinensis 'Zebrinus'

Uses

M. sinensis is a candidate for bioenergy production in the United States due to its high yield, even in high stress environments, easy propagation, effective nutrient cycling, and high genetic variation.^[3]

Gallery

• 

  Miscanthus sinensis flower stalks in mid-October, the horizontal variegations are visible on leaves in the lower-right part of the picture.

• 

  The beginning of November, on Tonomine highlands in Kamikawa, Hyogo, Japan

• 

  Zebra grass with horizontal variegations, mostly a garden plant in Japan

• 

  M. sinensis in Japan

• 

  Magnified view of M. sinensis leaf;
  0 to 1 = 1mm; the saw-like edge can cut human skin.

Notes

1. ^ Chinese silvergrass. Invasive.org: Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, February 2, 2010. Accessed May 28, 2010.
2. ^ Quinn LD, Allen DJ, Stewart JR (2010) Invasiveness potential of Miscanthus sinensis: implications for bioenergy production in the United States. Global Change Biology Bioenergy. 1-2, 126-153.
3. ^ Stewart R, Toma Y, Fernández FG, Nishiwaki A, Yamada T, Bollero G (2009) The ecology and agronomy of “Miscanthus sinensis”, a species important to bioenergy crop development, in its native range in Japan: a review. Global Change Biology Bioenergy. 1-2, 126-153.

References

• Flora of China: Miscanthus sinensis
• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Miscanthus sinensis 'Stricta'

External links

• Photos of Miscanthus sinensis: seasonal/color change