Tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima)

Tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima) is a species of plant in Poaceae, large and perennial grass, growing in dense clumps, morphology similar to bamboo but smaller in stems, the shoots have a white flour coating forming tiger-like stripes, flowers collected and used to make brooms.

T. maxima has an upright trunk and tends to be curved, up to 3 meters high, hard, has segments, has no branches and is dark green-black in color. The reed is solid, dense and not hollow. Ligules are membranous, 1-2 mm long and hairless.

The leaf blade is lanceolate-oblong and wide, stiff, up to 60 cm long, up to 10 cm wide, rounded base, sharp tip, a bone in the middle, the upper surface is dark green and rough, the lower surface is pale green and a horizontal mark forms mold in the middle.

The flowers are collected in large panicles at the end of the stem as terminals, 30-60 cm wide, 15-30 cm long. Each node has a branch, the wick has short hair, the bottom is free of spikelets, the lowest branch is up to 30 cm, the stalk is 2 mm. Single or paired spikelet and 1.5-1.8 mm. Kariopsis oblong and 0.5 mm.

Tiger grass grows in clusters or associations with clusters of trees or bamboo forests on hilly slopes, cliffs between rocks, bushes, forest edges, grasslands and riverbanks in tropical areas at an altitude of 1000 m.

Rumput awis is used to resist erosion and prevent landslides. It is planted for fences and ornamental plants. The young leaves are used as a mixture of animal feed and panicles are used in making brooms.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Tribe: Thysanolaeneae
Genus: Thysanolaena
Species: Thysanolaena maxima

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