Miscanthus

Miscanthus , silvergrass , [4] is a genus of African , Eurasian , and Pacific Island plants in the grass family . [5] [6]

Species [3] [7]
  1. Miscanthus changii Y.N.Lee – Korea
  2. Miscanthus depauperatus Merr. – Philippines
  3. Miscanthus ecklonii (Nees) Mabb. – southern Africa
  4. Miscanthus floridulus – China , Japan , Southeast Asia , Pacific Islands
  5. Miscanthus fuscus (Roxb.) Benth. – Indian Subcontinent , Indochina , Pen Malaysia
  6. Miscanthus junceus – southern Africa
  7. Miscanthus lutarioriparius L.Liu ex SLChen & Renvoize – Hubei , Hunan
  8. Miscanthus nepalensis (Trin.) Hack. – Indian Subcontinent , Tibet , Yunnan , Myanmar , Vietnam , Pen Malaysia
  9. Miscanthus nudipes (Griseb.) Hack. – Assam , Bhutan , Nepal , Sikkim , Tibet , Yunnan
  10. Miscanthus × ogiformis Honda – Korea , Japan
  11. Miscanthus oligostachyus Stapf. – Korea , Japan
  12. Miscanthus paniculatus (BSSun) SLChen & Renvoize – Guizhou , Sichuan , Yunnan
  13. Miscanthus sacchariflorus – Korea , Japan , Northeastern China , Russian Far East
  14. Miscanthus sinensis – Korea , Japan , China , Southeast Asia , Russian Far East ; naturalized in New Zealand , North + South America
  15. Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack. – Japan
  16. Miscanthus villosus Y.C.Liu & H.Peng – Yunnan
  17. Miscanthus violaceus (K.Schum.) Pilg. – tropical Africa
formerly included [3]

see Chloris Pseudopogonatherum Saccharum Spodiopogon

  • Miscanthus affinis – Pseudopogonatherum quadrinerve
  • Miscanthus cotulifer – Spodiopogon cotulifer
  • Miscanthus polydactylos – Chloris elata
  • Miscanthus rufipilus – Saccharum rufipilum
  • Miscanthus tanakae – Pseudopogonatherum speciosum

Uses

M. giganteus

Main article: Miscanthus giganteus

The sterile hybrid between M. sinensis and M. sacchariflorus , Miscanthus giganteus , has been trialed as a biofuel in Europe since the early 1980s. It can grow to heights of more than 3.5 m in one growth season. Its annual yieldcan reach 25 tonnes per hectare (10 tonnes per acre). [8] It is sometimes called “elephant grass”, so is confused with the African grass Pennisetum purpureum , also called that.

The rapid growth, low mineral content, and high biomass yield of Miscanthus make it a favorite choice as a biofuel . [9] Miscanthus can be used as input for ethanol production, often outperforming corn and other alternatives in terms of biomass and gallons of ethanol produced. Moreover, after harvest, it can be burned to produce heat and steam for power turbines. In addition to the amount of CO 2Fossil fuels that could have been used in planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and processing the crop, as well as in transporting the biofuel to the point of use, should also be considered when assessing its carbon load. Its advantage, though, is not usually consumed by humans, making it more available for ethanol and biofuel than, say, corn and sugarcane. When mixed 50% -50% with coal, Miscanthus biomass can be used in some coal-burning power plants without modifications.

M. sinensis

M. sinensis is cultivated as an ornamental plant . In Japan, where it is known as susuki (す す き), it is considered an early and late summer plant. It is mentioned in 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 a bush clover for the Mid-Autumn Festival . Miscanthus also has excellent fiber properties for papermaking .

References

  1. Jump up^ lectotype designated by Coville, Contr. US Natl. Herb. 9: 400 (8 Apr 1905)
  2. Jump up^ Tropicos, Miscanthus Andersson
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. Jump up^ ” Miscanthus ” . Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA . Retrieved 13 July 2015 .
  5. Jump up^ Andersson, Nils Johan. 1855. Öfversigt af Förhandlingar: Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademien 12: 165.
  6. Jump up^ Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 581芒属 mang shu Miscanthus Andersson Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 12: 165. 1855.
  7. Jump up^ the plant list search for Miscanthus
  8. Jump up^ National Non-Food Crops Center. “NNFCC Crop Factsheet: Miscanthus”. Retrieved on 2011-02-17.
  9. Jump up^ Scurlock, JMO (February 1999). “Miscanthus: a review of European experience with a novel energy crop” . Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy . Retrieved 2009-06-01 .