别名：多穗狼尾草;mission grass;

科名：禾本科 Gramineae

属名：狼尾草属 Pennisetum

《中国植物志》第10(1)卷365页
  4. 牧地狼尾草（台湾植物志）
  Pennisetum setosum (Swartz) Rich. in Pers. Syn. Pl. 1: 72. 1805; Hitchc. , Man. Grass. Unit. Stat. 727. f. 1110. 1951; Bor, Grass. Burm. Ceyl. Ind. Pakist. 348. 1960; Hsu in Taiwania 16: 295. f. 15. 1871; 台湾植物志5:529. 1978. ——Cenchrus setosus Sw. Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 26. 1788. ——Panicum cenchroides Rich. in Acta Soc. Hiss. Nat. Paris 1: 106. 1792. ——Panicum erubescens Willd. , Enum. Hort. Berol. 1031. 1809.——Pennisetum purpurascens H. B. K. Nov. Gen et Sp. 1: 113. 1816.——Pennisetum alopecuroides auct. non Spreng.: Desv. ex Hamilt. Prodr. Pl. Ind. Occ. 11. 1825.
  多年生。根茎短刁、秆丛生，高50-150厘米。叶鞘疏松，有硬毛，边缘具纤毛，老后常宿存基部；叶舌为一圈长约1毫米的纤毛；叶片线形，宽3-15毫米，多少有毛。圆锥花序为紧圆柱状，长10-25厘米，宽8-10毫米，黄色至紫色，成熟时小穗丛常反曲；刚毛不等长，外圈者较细短，内圈者有羽状绢毛，长可达1厘米；小穗卵状披针形，长3-4毫米，多少被短毛；第一颖退化；第二颖与第一外稃略与小穗等长，具5脉，先端3丝裂，第一内稃之二脊及先端有毛；第二外稃稍软骨质，短于小穗，长约2.4毫米。染色体2n=54（Авдулов，1928）。
  分布热带美洲及热带非洲，但已引入许多国家。我国台湾及海南已引种而归化，常见于山坡草地。

《Flora of China》 Vol. 22 (2006)
Pennisetum polystachion  (Linnaeus) Schultes
牧地狼尾草   mu di lang wei cao
Panicum polystachion Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 870. 1759; Cenchrus setosus Swartz; Panicum cenchroides Richard; P. erubescens Willdenow; Pennisetum purpurascens Kunth; P. setosum (Swartz) Richard.
Short-lived perennial or annual. Culms much branched, 50–150 cm tall. Leaf blades linear, 10–20 × 0.3–1.5 cm, hispid. Inflorescence linear, 10–25 × 0.8–1 cm, yellow or purplish; axis angular with sharp decurrent wings below the involucres, these densely packed, often speading at right angles at maturity; involucre with numerous bristles obscuring the single spikelet, densely ciliate in lower half with crinkled matted hairs, longest bristle 1–2 cm. Spikelet narrowly lanceolate, 3–4.5 mm; lower glume absent or a small triangular scale; upper glume as long as spikelet, 5-veined, obtuse, ciliolate, apiculate; lower floret staminate or neuter, lemma similar but slightly shorter, obtusely 3-lobed; upper floret 2/3 spikelet length, cartilaginous, smooth, shiny, readily deciduous at maturity; anthers without hairs at tip. 2n = 54.
Naturalized. Hainan, Hong Kong, Taiwan [throughout the tropics].
This is a widespread and polymorphic species, sometimes cultivated for pasture or fodder. The soft, crinkled hairs around the spikelet and the deciduous upper floret are clear-cut characters for recognition.