How to identify lychee grass

1. Blades

The leaves of Litchi grass are elliptical-oval or elliptical-lanceolate, about 2-6 cm long and 0.8-2.5 cm wide, with obtuse or acute apex, rounded or cuneate base, small round serrations on the leaf margins, golden glandular dots on the back, and short soft hairs on the veins. The leaves are opposite and easily fall off or break, and most of the intact leaves are wrinkled or curled.

2. Stem

The stem of the lychee grass is square columnar, with a diameter of about 2-8 mm. The surface color is gray-green at first and turns to brown later, and is covered with short soft hairs.

3. Petals

The inflorescence of Litchi grass is 10-25 cm long and will be extended when fruiting; the bracts are lanceolate, longer or shorter than the calyx; the pedicels and inflorescence axis are densely covered with sparse soft hairs; the calyx is bell-shaped with yellow-brown glandular dots. The corolla is light pink, light purple, bluish purple to blue.

4. Fruit

The nutlets of the lychee grass are obovate, brown in color, and have glandular dots. The fruiting period is June-July.