Specimen
Habitat
MP-0020 / 0024 โ Poaceae
Miscanthus sinensis Andersson
Susuki (JP)
The silver-plumed grass of Japan’s open hills, kept alive by mowing and fire.
Distribution
Japan from Hokkaido to the Ryukyus, Korea, China and Taiwan; widely naturalised as an ornamental elsewhere.
Habitat
Open grassland, sunny slopes, forest margins and burnt or mown land.
Morphology
A tall, tufted perennial grass 1โ2 m high. The linear leaves have a pale central midrib and rough margins. The large, fan-shaped panicle is made up of many racemes whose spikelets bear long awns and silky hairs.
Botanical notes
A foundation species of Japan’s semi-natural grasslands (kusa-yama), which depend on regular mowing or burning to persist. Traditionally harvested as kaya for roof thatch.
References
Taxonomy and distribution follow Plants of the World Online (Kew), YList (Yonekura & Kajita) and regional floras; CITES Species+ for trade status. Descriptions are provisional and are revised as specimens are verified.