The dominant grass of the alpine steppe, the pasture that feeds Tibet's nomads' herds and the chiru, kiang and wild yak.
- Group: Plant
- Plant type: Grass and sedge
- Habitats: Alpine steppe, gravel flats
- Regions: Ü Tsang, Kham, Amdo
Habitat and distribution
Stony slopes, valley silt, sand and gravel flats at 1,900–5,200 m (Flora of China), across the Changtang and the plateau.
Recorded in Ü-Tsang, Kham, Amdo.
Ecological and cultural significance
Described as 'a dominant herbage resource in alpine steppe' with a great influence on animal husbandry on the plateau (Ma and Sun 2018).
Threats
Climate change is expected to shift and fragment its range (Ma and Sun 2018). Note: the same paper repeats the claim that overgrazing degrades grassland; the causes of degradation are disputed (see the grasslands chapter).
Conservation
Not assessed by the IUCN Red List (no assessment found).