Melica nutans subsp. nutans (mountain melick, "Komegaya")

Japanese name: コメガヤ （米茅）
Scientific name: Melica nutans subsp. nutans

[Overview]
A perennial 20–50 cm tall, found in forests and along roadsides in the mountains.
The stem is slender and erect.
The leaves are linear, 5–15 cm long and 0.2–0.5 cm wide, with a leaf sheath that forms a complete tube.
A raceme-like inflorescence 8–15 cm long bears 5–15 spikelets.
The spikelets have slender stalks and hang down.
The spikelets are elliptical, 0.6–0.8 cm long, consist of 4 florets, and are tinged with reddish purple or whitish green.
Of the florets, 2 are bisexual and 2 are reduced.

[Notes]
The name is said to compare the spikelets to grains of rice.

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