| SOURCE: The following information on this
species is taken, in part, from the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council,
Invasive Plant Manual at http://www.se-eppc.org/manual/MISI.html.
Modifications include additional pictures (from www.invasives.org)
and resource information. Check the website links for future updates. The last
update for this fact sheet is June, 2006.
|
DESCRIPTION:
Miscanthus sinensis is a member of the Poaceae or Grass Family. It continues to be
a popular ornamental in many areas of the United States as well as being used
as a barrier plant along roadsides and agricultural fields. There are many
ornamental varieties of this plant, including one that is used in Europe and
Asia as a biofuel and for paper pulp. Miscanthus gets its name from the Greek
word mischos meaning stalk and anthos meaning flowers, referring
to the stalked spikelets. Miscanthus is being considered as a wildland fire
hazard due to its large amount of dried biomass in the fall and winter. Burning
plants can have flame lengths of thirty feet and have a high potential for
spotting into receptive fuels.
Height:
The many arching leaves reach 1 to 1.5 meters.
Leaves: Basal leaves arise from a large
central clump. Individual leaves are sparsely pubescent on both sides, taper to
a point, and are 1 to 2 meters long and 1 to 2 centimeters wide. The margins
are sharp and slightly serrated.
Flowers:
The culms (flowering stalk) are up to 1.8 meters long. Flowers are terminal
panicles 10 to 35 centimeters long. Initially they are pale pink to reddish in
color gradually turning tan in fall and last through winter. Flowers emerge
from September to November.
Fruit/Seeds: Seeds are rough with a twist ed
bristle tip and from 3 to 4 millimeters long.
Photos: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service,
www.forestryimages.org.
Right: white mid-vein in September
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Photo (top): Britt Slattery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
www.forestryimages.org.
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Photo: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service,
www.forestryimages.org.
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Photoas (above): Chris Evans, The University of Georgia,
www.forestryimages.org.
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LIFE HISTORY:
Miscanthus spreads primarily by underground roots or rhizomes. Mature plants have
extensive perennial root systems. New growth emerges in mid-spring and rapidly
replaces the previous year's dried erect leaves. The flower spike emerges in
late August to early September and matures in early November. The seed
viability of miscanthus is varied according to variety. Although it is
speculated this plant will spread by seed, its main form of reproduction is
vegetative.
ORIGIN AND
DISTRIBUTION: Miscanthus is native to Asia. It was brought into the United States
primarily for ornamental purposes. It has been introduced or spread throughout
the eastern United States, Colorado, and California.
SIMILAR SPECIES:
There are no native species of miscanthus in the eastern United States. Big
blue stem (Andropogon gerardii) is a possible look alike due to its
large size. One distinguishing feature is that big blue stem has a
three-pronged flower spike that resembles a turkey's foot. Sugarcane plumegrass
(Saccharum giganteum) resembles miscanthus due to its large plume and
arching leaves. Plume grass can be differentiated by its longer flower stalks
(up to four meters) and shorter leaves (to five decimeters). Early growth of
new plants could be confused with some native grasses. There are many varieties
of Miscanthus sinensis as well as other large ornamental bunch grasses
in the nursery trade. All of the horticultural varieties grow in similar
habitats.
HABITAT:
Miscanthus will grow on a variety of sites but prefers moist well-drained soil
to reach its maximum growth potential. It is intolerant of shade although it
will persist in sparsely forested areas and small openings. In many natural
areas, this grass is prevalent on abandoned home sites where it was used as an
ornamental. It has been documented invading shores of reservoirs, roadsides,
and in forests and old fields following fires. The plant is extremely flammable
and upon catching fire, burning fragments cause difficulty in fire control.
Miscanthus will grow in relatively cold (Zone 5) as well as warm climates (Zone
9).
For more information
on Miscanthus, please contact:
Invasive Plant Atlas of New England,
http://invasives.eeb.uconn.edu/ipane/
Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council, Inc., http://www.ma-eppc.org
National Invasive Species Information Center,
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov
Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group, Weeds Gone Wild,
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/
Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas,
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/loni.html
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council, Invasive Plant Manual,
http://www.se-eppc.org/manual/
The Bugwood Network, MA-EPPC Plant List,
http://www.invasive.org/maweeds.cfm
The Nature Conservancy, Invasive Species Initiative,
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs.html
USDA Forest Service, Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests,
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/srs/
USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area, Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Week,
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, http://plants.usda.gov/
RESOURCES:
Anten, Niels; Hirose Tadaki. Interspecific differences in above-ground growth
patterns result in spatial and temporal partitioning of light among species in
a tall-grass meadow. Journal of Ecology. Aug. 1999; 87 (4): 583-597.
Gleason, H. A.; Cronquist, A. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United
States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. The New York Botanical Garden; 1991.
Johnson, Kristine. National Park Service: Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Personal Communication. Nov. 21, 2002.
Kartesz, J.T. A Synonymized Checklist and Atlas with Biological Attributes for
the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First Edition.
In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora,
Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC. 1999.
Morisawa, TunyaLee. Weed Notes: Miscanthus sinensis. The Nature Conservancy.
Nov. 2 2002. http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/miscsine.html
Nishiwak,-Aya; Sugawara,Kazuo; Ito,Iwao. The effect of cattle grazing on seed
production in Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. Grassland-Science. 1996; 42 (1)
47-51.
Perry, Leonard. Miscanthus. University of Vermont. Oct. 20 2002.
http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/grsmisca.html
USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 http://plants.usda.gov.
National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Nov. 8, 2002.
Radford, A. E.; Ahles, H. E.; Bell, C. R. Manual of the vascular flora of the
Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press; 1968.
Yamamoto,Y; Yag, T; Saito,Y; Kirita,H. Changes in the species diversity, H', of
Miscanthus-type grassland in relation to vegetational change by grazing.
Grassland-Science. July, 1998; 44 (2) 122-126.
Management and
Control Information
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