Weasel grass - Weasel grass

Japanese: イタチガヤ - いたちがや

A small perennial grass of the Grass family that grows on sunny mountain slopes (illustration). Its Japanese name, Itagaya, comes from the yellowish-brown hairy ears, which resemble weasels. The stems are thin but tough, and grow densely to form clumps. The stems are 10-20cm tall, have hairs at the nodes, and have tough scales at the base. The leaves are short, lanceolate, bright green, and up to 5cm long and 4mm wide at the nodes of the stem. From summer to autumn, a single spike-like inflorescence appears at the top of the stem. The ears are short, cylindrical, erect, about 2cm long, and densely covered with white hairs, but the awns mixed in with these are yellowish-brown, giving the plant an overall golden brown appearance.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

日当りのよい山の斜面に生える小型のイネ科の多年草（イラスト）。和名の鼬茅（いたちがや）は黄褐色の毛の生えた穂をイタチに見立てた。茎は細いが硬く，密生して株を作る。茎の高さは10～20cm，節に毛があり，基部に硬い鱗片がある。葉は茎の節につき，短い披針形で長さは5cm以下，幅は4mmほどで，鮮緑色をしている。夏から秋にかけて，1個の穂状の花序が茎の頂に出る。穂は短い円柱状で，立ち，長さは2cm前後，白い毛が密生するが，これに混じる芒（のぎ）が黄褐色で全体にきつね色に見える。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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