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
Physiology
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). It is used for the eighth month in hanafuda playing cards. It is decorated with bush clover for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Miscanthus has also excellent fiber properties for papermaking.
Miscanthus × giganteus
Miscanthus × giganteus (Miscanthus giganteus, giant miscanthus) is a highly productive, rhizomatous C4 perennial grass, originating from Asia.
It is a sterile (noninvasive) hybrid of M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus, and grows to heights of more than in one growing season (from the third season onwards). In temperate climates such as in Europe, the dry mass yield is per year, depending on location. Just like Pennisetum purpureum and Saccharum ravennae (which grow to the same height), it is also called "elephant grass".
Miscanthus' ability to grow on marginal land and in relatively cold weather conditions, its rapid absorption, its significant carbon sequestration, and its high yield make it a favorite choice as a biofuel.
Miscanthus is mainly used for heat and power, but can also be used as input for ethanol production (if harvested wet). If harvested dry, it can be burnt directly in biomass boilers, or processed further (pellets, briquettes). It can also be used as a "green" building material, for both wall construction and as general insulation. An experimental house based on Miscanthus straw bales was built in 2017. Miscanthus cropping enhances nutrient cycling in the plant–soil system.
References
External links
UK's National Centre for Biorenewable Energy, Fuels and Materials
Miscanthus × giganteus - as an energy crop - Miscanthus Research at the University of Illinois
Grasses of Africa
Grasses of Asia
Energy crops
Poaceae genera
Andropogoneae