[229] Miscanthus sinensis, Chinese Silver Grass

[229] Miscanthus sinensis, Chinese Silver Grass

Introduction

Miscanthus sinensis, Chinese Silver Grass (or Silvergrass), is a large type of grass, native to Eastern Asia and widely cultivated elsewhere. It has several cultivars of different forms including some with horizontal variegation on their leaves.

Other species of Miscanthus are called Silvergrass.

Miscanthus sinensis is also known as Eulalia.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Clade – Monocots

Clade – Commenelids

Order – Poales

Family – Poaceae

Clade – PACMAD

Subfamily – Panicoideae

Supertribe – Andropogonodae

Tribe – Andropogoneae (Sorghum, Sugarcane, Maize and others)

Subtribe – Saccharinae

Genus – Miscanthus (Silvergrasses)

Scientific Name – Miscanthus sinensis

Synonyms include Eulalia japonica.

It comes in several varieties and cultivars

Name

Miscanthus come from Ancient Greek ‘miskhos anthos’ meaning stalk-flower, which seems to apply just as well to any grass. Sinensis is the Latin for Chinese – it could have been called Japanese or Korean but China normally gets in first.

The genus Eulalia with many species is named from the French botanical artist Eulalie Delile. Miscanthus sinensis retains the common name Eulalia

Description

This is our last species ornamental grass and I won’t much add to what I have said in [074] Crimson Fountaingrass, which also looked at grasses in general. Just as that species is not very crimson, Chinese Silvergrass is not very silver.

It has many varieties, one of which has a horizontal stripe effect on its stems.

It produces both male and female flowers.

Habitat and use

This grass is native to parts of China and also Japan and Korea. It is widely cultivated in parks and gardens with many cultivars.

Other Notes

There may be other species of ornamental grass, not just other species of Miscanthus.

See also

You know all about grasses.