bristle miscanthus
(Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.)

Overview

Appearance

Miscanthus sinensis is a tall, up to 12 ft. (3.7 m), densely-bunched grass that invades roadsides, forest edges, old fields, and other disturbed areas throughout the United States.

Foliage

The leaves are long (up to 18 in. [45 cm]), slender, and upright-to-arching with sharp tips and rough margins. The midribs are silvery in color.

Flowers

The terminal panicle is fan-shaped, long (2 ft. [0.6 m] in length), and silvery to pink in color. Flowering occurs in late summer.

Fruit

Each fertile floret in the panicle bears an awn that is 0.3-0.4 in. (8-10 mm) long and is spirally twisted at its base. It can also spread through rhizomes.

Ecological Threat

Miscanthus sinensis escapes from ornamental plantings and can form large clumps along disturbed areas, displacing native vegetation. The grass is also extremely flammable and increases fire risks of invaded areas. It is native to Asia and was introduced into the United States for ornamental purposes during the late 1800s.

Resources

• A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
• Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
• Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Alabama Invasive Plant Council - Watch list A
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
• Connecticut Invasive Plant List
• Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
• Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 2
• Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• Jil Swearingen, personal communication, 2009-2017
• Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Severe Threat
• Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.  2003. Invasive Plant Control in Maryland. Home and Garden Information Center, Home and Garden Mimeo HG88. 4 pp.
• Maryland Department of Agriculture's Candidates for Listing of Invasive Plants
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
• Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
• Missouri SRISP Species List
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• New Hampshire Invasive Plant Species Watch List
• New Invaders of the Northwest
• New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
• New York Regulated and Prohibited Invasive Species - Regulated
• Non-Native Invasive Plants of Arlington County, Virginia
• Non-Native Invasive Plants of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• Ohio Invasive Species Council
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
• Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
• Rhode Island Natural History Survey
• South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council
• Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council
• Virginia Invasive Plant Species List
• Virginia Master Naturalists Priority Species List
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999

References