Family: Poaceae
Author: Andersson
Bibliography: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 12: 166 (1855)
Year: 1855
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Miscanthus
Vegetable: False
Observations: China to Malesia, Russian Far East to Temp. E. Asia
Description
Miscanthus, known scientifically as Miscanthus sinensis, is a perennial plant species that belongs to the Poaceae family. Originally detailed by Andersson in 1855, this species has garnered attention for its versatile and resilient nature.
Native to a broad geographic range spanning from China to Malesia and extending to the Russian Far East and temperate regions of East Asia, Miscanthus sinensis thrives in various climates and conditions. The grass-like plant is noted for its towering stature, often reaching impressive heights, and its striking inflorescence which adds an ornamental appeal to landscapes.
Miscanthus has become a popular choice in ornamental horticulture for its aesthetic qualities, including its graceful foliage and airy flower plumes that appear in late summer to autumn. Beyond its visual appeal, it also holds potential for ecological and practical applications, such as bioenergy production and soil stabilization, due to its robust growth and adaptability.
In summary, Miscanthus sinensis is a remarkable species with both decorative and utilitarian value, standing as a testament to the diversity and adaptability of the grasses within the Poaceae family.
Common Names
Eng: chinese silvergrass, eulalia, miscanthus, zebra grass
Dan: elefantgræs, kinesisk elefantgræs
Ita: eulalia
Deu: gewöhnliches chinaschilf, gewöhnliches chinaschlif, schilfgras
Por: eulália
Ces: ozdobnice
Nld: klein prachtriet
Swe: glansmiskantus
Fra: miscanthus de chine
En: Miscanthus, Zebra grass, Eulalia, Chinese silvergrass, Maiden Grass, Susuki grass, Chinese Silver Grass, Maiden silvergrass
Ca: Eulàlia
Zh: 芒
Cs: Ozdobnice čínská, Ozdobnice
Da: Elefantgræs, Kinesisk elefantgræs
Nl: Klein prachtriet
Eo: Ĉina kano
Fi: Elefanttiheinä
Fr: Miscanthus de Chine, Roseau de Chine, Roseau chinois, Eulalia
De: Schilfgras, Chinaschilf, Gewöhnliches Chinaschilf, Gewöhnliches Chinaschlif, Elefantengras
It: Eulalia
Ko: Eogsae, 참억새
Pl: Miskant chiński
Pt: Eulália
Pt-br: Capim-zebra, Eulália
Ru: Мискантус китайский
Sv: Glansmiskantus
Zh-tw: 金平芒
Synonyms
- Xiphagrostis japonicus ((Trin.) Coville)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. chejuensis ((Y.N.Lee) M.Kim)
- Saccharum japonicum (Thunb.)
- Miscanthus sinensis subsp. purpurascens ((Andersson) Tzvelev)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. zebrinus ((Van Geert) Nakai)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. transiticus (Nakai)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. purpurascens ((Andersson) Nakai)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. zebrinus ((Van Geert) Matsum.)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. keumunensis (Y.N.Lee)
- Eulalia japonica ((Thunb.) Trin.)
- Eulalia japonica var. zebrina ((Van Geert) G.Nicholson)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. nakaianus ((Honda) I.C.Chung)
- Miscanthus miser (Nakai ex Honda)
- Miscanthus zebrinus ((Van Geert) Nakai ex Matsum.)
- Miscanthus coreensis (Hack.)
- Miscanthus matsudae (Honda)
- Miscanthus transmorrisonensis (Hayata)
- Miscanthus neocoreanus (Honda)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens ((Andersson) Matsum.)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. decompositus (Nakai)
- Miscanthus condensatus var. intermedius (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus condensatus var. purpurascens (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus chrysander (Ôkubo)
- Ripidium japonicum ((Thunb.) Trin.)
- Miscanthus condensatus (Hack.)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. coriaceus (T.Mori)
- Miscanthus littoralis (Honda)
- Miscanthus chejuensis (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. yogoi (Honda ex Yogo)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. gracillimus ((Hitchc.) Ohwi)
- Miscanthus sinensis subsp. condensatus ((Hack.) T.Koyama)
- Miscanthus kanehirae (Honda)
- Miscanthus boninensis (Nakai ex Honda)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. ionandros ((Nakai) Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. porphyrocomus (Ohwi)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. transiticus ((Nakai) T.Mori)
- Miscanthus purpurascens (Andersson)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. variegatus (Beal)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. albiflorus ((Y.N.Lee) M.Kim)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. albiflorus (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. variegatus ((Beal) Nakai)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. pycnocephalus ((Honda) Ohwi)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus (Hitchc.)
- Erianthus japonicus ((Thunb.) P.Beauv.)
- Miscanthus pycnocephalus var. purpurascens (Honda)
- Xiphagrostis japonica ((Thunb.) Coville)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. viridis ((Y.N.Lee) M.Kim)
- Miscanthus nakaianus (Honda)
- Xiphagrostis condensatus ((Hack.) W.Wight)
- Miscanthus flavidus (Honda)
- Eulalia japonica zebrina ((Van Geert) Van Houtte)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ((Hack.) Makino)
- Eulalia japonica var. gracillima ((Hitchc.) Grier)
- Miscanthus matsudae var. glabrescens (Honda)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. chejuensis ((Y.N.Lee) Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. crassiracemus (Ohwi)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. glaber (Nakai)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. longiaxis (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. decompositus ((Nakai) Honda)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. viridis (Y.N.Lee)
- Miscanthus kokusanensis var. variegatus ((Honda) Nakai & Honda)
- Miscanthus sinensis f. hashimotoi (Ohwi)
- Saccharum roseum (Reinw. ex Miq.)
- Miscanthus kokusanensis f. variegatus (Honda)
- Miscanthus ionandros (Nakai)
- Miscanthus pycnocephalus (Honda)
- Miscanthus hidakanus (Honda)
- Eulalia zebrina (Van Geert)
- Miscanthus kokusanensis (Nakai & Honda)
- Miscanthus condensatus f. purpurascens ((Y.N.Lee) M.Kim)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. formosanus (Hack.)
- Miscanthus sinensis var. intermedius (Matsum.)
Distribution
- Borneo (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Hainan (native)
- Japan (native)
- Jawa (native)
- Kazan-retto (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Korea (native)
- Kuril Is. (native)
- Laos (native)
- Maluku (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Nansei-shoto (native)
- Ogasawara-shoto (native)
- Philippines (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Sakhalin (native)
- South China Sea (native)
- Taiwan (native)
- Thailand (native)
- Vietnam (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Arkansas (introduced)
- Austria (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Brazil West-Central (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Czechoslovakia (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- District of Columbia (introduced)
- Egypt (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- Georgia (introduced)
- Germany (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Italy (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Louisiana (introduced)
- Marshall Is. (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mexico Southeast (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Mississippi (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- South Carolina (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Transcaucasus (introduced)
- Turkey (introduced)
- Uruguay (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
Additional Images
Habit
Taken May 30, 2022 by Jacques Zuber (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 5, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 2, 2022 by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 10, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Feb 5, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 9, 2022 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 2, 2022 by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 10, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jan 2, 2022 by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 12, 2022 by Lines Luna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 9, 2022 by David Jousset (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 12, 2022 by Lines Luna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 10, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Dec 23, 2021 by francois tissot (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 15, 2021 by lunal maan (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 23, 2021 by francois tissot (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 15, 2020 by sebastien blancaneaux (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 22, 2019 by Friedhelm Brösecke (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jul 7, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 24, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Claire RIGOULAT (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 18, 2021 by Miles Bostock (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 8, 2022 by David Hocken (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 22, 2022 by Natural Ethik (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Jul 9, 2021 by tmzante (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 25, 2021 by Attila Medvessy (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 15, 2021 by Jacques Zuber (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 13, 2021 by paul (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2706026)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:408768-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Miscanthus sinensis Andersson)
Specifications
Growth form: Bunch
Growth habit: Graminoid
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.2
Ph minimum: 5.0