Coastal Small Reed

This taxon represents a small form of Calamagrostis pseudo-phragmites with a congested, usually purple panicle. It is often recognized at infraspecific rank (C. pseudophragmites subsp. tartarica), but at the specific rank the epithet "hedinii" has priority.

Perennial, densely tufted, rhizomatous. Culms erect, 20–70 cm tall, 1–3 mm in diam., 2–4-noded, smooth. Leaf sheaths smooth; leaf blades often involute, 5–10(–20) cm, 1–3 mm wide, adaxial surface and margin scabrid, abaxial surface smooth; ligule 3–5 mm, apex lacerate. Panicle dense, cylindrical, 4–13 cm, slightly lobed but primary branches congested; branches scabrid. Spikelets 4.5–6.5 mm, grayish brown or purplish; glumes narrowly lanceolate, unequal, upper glume 2/3–7/8 length of lower glume, keel scabrid, apex acuminate-subulate; callus hairs equaling or longer than lemma; lemma about 1/2 as long as glumes, 2–4 mm, apex slightly denticulate; awn arising from apex, 0.5–1(–2) mm, straight, not projecting from glumes; palea 1/2 as long as lemma; rachilla not extended. Stamens 3, anthers ca. 2 mm. Fl. Aug–Sep.

Perennial, tufted, rhizomatous; rhizomes spreading. Culms erect, 40–150 cm tall, 1.5–4 mm in diam., 2–6-noded, scabrid below panicle. Leaf sheaths smooth or scabrid; leaf blades flat or weakly inrolled, 10–30 cm, 2–5(–7) mm wide, adaxial surface and margins scabrid, abaxial surface smooth; ligule 4–10 mm, obtuse or lacerate. Panicle oblong-lanceolate, rather lax, 10–30 × 2–5 cm, primary branches distinct, nodding; branches in dense whorls, scabrid. Spikelets 5–9 mm, yellowish green or purple; glumes linear-lanceolate, unequal, upper glume 2/3–3/4 length of lower glume, keel scabrid, apex acuminate-subulate; callus hairs 2–3 times length of lemma; lemma about 1/2 as long as glumes, 3–4 mm, 3-veined, apex entire or 2-denticulate; awn arising just below lemma apex, 1–3 mm, scarcely projecting from glumes, straight; palea 1/2–2/3 as long as lemma. Stamens 3; anthers 1–2 mm; rachilla not extended. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Tufted perennial with creeping rhizomes; culms 20-150 cm high, erect, rather stout, rough beneath the panicle. Leaf-blades up to 35 cm long, 2.5-10 mm wide, flat or convolute, scabrid above; ligule 4-10 mm long, acute or lacerate. Panicle soon nodding, lanceolate to oblong, 4-40 cm long, lax or dense and spike-like, usually tinged with purple. Spikelets 5-9 mm long, the rhachilla usually not prolonged; glumes unequal, narrowly lanceolate, smooth or scaberulous only on the keel; lemma about half the length of the glumes, smooth, truncate-denticulate at the tip; awn 1-3 mm long, arising within 0.3 mm of the lemma tip and scarcely projecting beyond the glume tips; callus hairs 2-3 times the length of the floret.

Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang [NW India, Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan].

Europe, W. Asia, Himalaya, Tibet.

Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan and NE China [Bhutan, India (Darjeeling), Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan; SW Asia, Europe].

1500-4600 m

Damp sandy or stony places; 700–3000 m.

Damp grassy slopes, near riversides; 300–2500 m.

Calamagrostis littorea (Schrader) P. Beauvois var. tar-tarica J. D. Hooker; C. pseudophragmites (A. Haller) Koeler subsp. tartarica (J. D. Hooker) Tzvelev; C. pseudophragmites var. tartarica (J. D. Hooker) R. R. Stewart; C. tartarica (J. D. Hooker) D. F. Cui, nom. illeg. superfl.

Arundo pseudophragmites A. Haller, Arch. Bot. (Leipzig), 1(2): 11. 1797; Calamagrostis nepalensis Nees ex Steudel.