photo: Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org
Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensus)
 Cleveland Metroparks |
 Cleveland Metroparks |
 Cleveland Metroparks |
 Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org |
Form:
Highly variable robust perennial grass that can grow to 6.5-10’ in height. It is usually found in large tufts. The branches are very flexible and spread or droop.
Leaves:
The leaves are elongate and can measure 3’ in length and 1” in width. The leaves have a silver white midrib. The tips of the leaves are sharp and recurving.
Fruits & Seeds:
The fan-shaped terminal panicle is 6-24” long and can be silvery to pale pink in color. The branches of the panicle are erect or ascending. These panicles reach full maturity in the fall. The glabrous spikelets are very small, yellow-brown in color and encircled at the base with white or purple-colored hairs. The lemmas measure 0.1” long. Each fertile lemma bears an awn that is 0.3” long and is spirally twisted at its base. There are a wide variety of cultivars of this plant which may not fit this exact description.
Tier 3 - Presence is of Interest
The species that occur in this tier are likely ornamental escapes. It is not known whether they are established and/or spreading within Cleveland Metroparks. The ecological impact is poorly known for these species.
Action: The presence of these plants should be recorded by approximating the number of plants. Initial population numbers are likely small.
