Miscanthus floridulus
Miscanthus floridulus, the Pacific Island silvergrass,[1] is a species of perennial grass in the family Poaceae.
| Miscanthus floridulus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Genus: | Miscanthus |
| Species: | M. floridulus |
| Binomial name | |
| Miscanthus floridulus (Labill.) Warb. ex K.Schum. & Lauterb. | |
Use
In the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea, this grass is locally known as pit pit grass, and grows naturally. The local communities use the stem of this grass for several purposes. The matured stem is used to make fences around gardens. It is also used to construct the outer wall of traditional houses. The third important use is that remote households burn dried stems to light their houses. Also, children who walk to school carry torches from the burning stem of this grass until they reach their destination. A torch is about 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) long and it takes quite a while to burn it down. The walking distance is long where the children start their journey as early as 5 am.
References
- "Miscanthus floridulus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- Chou, Chang-Hung; Chang, Fu-Chun (1998). "Population study of Miscanthus floridulus 11. Ecotypic variation of M. floridulus and M. transmorrisonensis as affected by altitude in Nantou". Taiwan's Bot. Bull. Academia Sinica. 29: 301–314.