Miscanthus

Miscanthus, or silvergrass, is a genus of African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family, Poaceae. Species Miscanthus changii Y.N.Lee – Korea Miscanthus depauperatus Merr. – the Philippines Miscanthus ecklonii (Nees) Mabb. – southern Africa Miscanthus floridulus – China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands Miscanthus fuscus (Roxb.) Benth. – Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, Pen Malaysia Miscanthus junceus – southern Africa Miscanthus lutarioriparius L.Liu ex S.L.Chen & Renvoize – Hubei, Hunan Miscanthus nepalensis (Trin.) Hack. – Indian Subcontinent, Tibet, Yunnan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Pen Malaysia Miscanthus nudipes (Griseb.) Hack. – Assam, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, Tibet, Yunnan Miscanthus × ogiformis Honda – Korea, Japan Miscanthus oligostachyus Stapf. – Korea, Japan Miscanthus paniculatus (B.S.Sun) S.L.Chen & Renvoize – Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan Miscanthus sacchariflorus – Korea, Japan, northeastern China, Russian Far East Miscanthus sinensis – Korea, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Russian Far East; naturalized in New Zealand, North America, South America Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack. – Japan Miscanthus villosus Y.C.Liu & H.Peng – Yunnan Miscanthus violaceus (K.Schum.) Pilg. – tropical Africa formerly included see Chloris, Pseudopogonatherum, Saccharum, and Spodiopogon Miscanthus affinis – Pseudopogonatherum quadrinerve Miscanthus cotulifer – Spodiopogon cotulifer Miscanthus polydactylos – Chloris elata Miscanthus rufipilus – Saccharum rufipilum Miscanthus tanakae – Pseudopogonatherum speciosum A wide variety in cold tolerance occurs in the genus. M. × giganteus is especially vulnerable to cold, and a cultivar of M. sinensis has the best known cold tolerance. Miscanthus sinensis M. sinensis is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, and is the source of several cultivars. In Japan, where it is known as susuki (すすき), it is considered an iconic plant of late summer and early autumn. It is mentioned in the Man'yōshū (VIII:1538) as one of the seven autumn flowers (aki no nana kusa, 秋の七草).