Gen info
- Pogonatherum is a genus of Asian and oceanic island plants in the grass family, Poaceae.
- Etymology: The genus name Pogonatherum derives from Greek words pogon, meaning "beard" and ather, meaning "awn", referring to the hair-like awns. The specific epithet crinitum derives from Latin crinitus, a, um", meaning "maned, equipped with hair" or "with long hair", referring to the hairy leaf blades or awns. (10)

Botany
• Culms erect or geniculate, sometimes trailing, very slender, 10–30 cm tall, 0.5–0.8 mm in diam., branching from near base. Leaf sheaths glabrous or puberulous, mouth long ciliate; leaf blades 1.5–5 × 0.1–0.4 cm, scaberulous-puberulous, apex acute. Raceme 1.5–3 cm (excluding awns), yellowish; rachis internodes and pedicels 1/3–2/3 spikelet length, hairs silky white. Sessile spikelet 1.3–2 mm, membranous; callus hairs equal to or slightly longer than spikelet; lower glume scabrid on back, apex ciliate with ca. 0.2 mm hairs; upper glume awn 1.5–1.8 cm; lower floret absent or only lemma present; awn of upper lemma 1.8–2.4 cm, strongly geniculate near base, column very short, dark brown, limb fine, diverging at right angle or more from spikelet. Stamen 1, anther ca. 1 mm. Pedicelled spikelet similar to sessile but smaller; lower glume awnless. (Flora of China)

• Pogonatherum crinitum is a perennial herbaceous species forming dense tufts with very thin stems (culms), ramified close to the base, erect or prostrate, 10-35 cm long, with white down on the nodes. The leaves are alternate, simple, linear with pointed apex and entire margin, flat, 1-5 cm long and 1,5-3 mm broad. Solitary racemose inflorescences axillar and terminal, 1-3 cm long, yellowish, with rachis provided at the nodes of thick white hairs. Oblong-elliptic spikelets in couple at the nodes, up to 2 mm long, glumes and upper lemmas provided of supple arist, 0,8-2 cm long, of brownish yellow color. The fruit is a tiny obovate-oblong caryopsis (dry indehiscent fruit typical of the Poaceae) of reddish brown color. (10)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Common on banks of ravines, along streams on cliffs and steep banks, etc., at low and medium elevation, ascending to 2000 m. (1)
- Also native to Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Japan, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Pakistan, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Himalaya. (2)

Constituents
- Study of Pogonatherum crinitum for bioactive constituents isolated two novel entities, luteolin 6-C-β-boivinopyranoside (1) and 6-trans-(2″-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl)ethenyl-5,7,3′,4′-tetrahydroxyflavone (2), along with luteolin (3), kaempferol (4), luteolin 6-C-β-fucopyranoside   (5), kaempferol 3-O-α-l-rhamno-pyranoside (6), luteolin 6-C-β-glucopyranoside (7), rutin (8) and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (9). (see study below) (4)
- Phytochemical screening of aerial parts detected polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, and carbohydrates. (see study below) (5) Ethanolic extract showed highest total phenolic content (TPC 72.32 mg GAE/g), while the ethyl acetate extract showed highest flavonoid content (TFC 59.93 mg QE/g). (see study below) (5)
- Study isolated a new C-glycosylflavone identified as luteolin 6-C-β-boivinopyranoside-7-O-β-glucopyranoside (1). (6)
- Study for anti-HBV constituents isolated six flavonol glycosides identified as kaempferol-7-O-α-L-rhampyranoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-rutinoside (2), kaempferol-3, 7-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), isorhamne tin-7-O-β-D-gentiobioside (5), isorhamnetin-3, 7-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6). (8)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Live plants in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Poaceae: Pogonatherum crinitum / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(2)
Pogonatherum crinitum / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(3)
Typha orientalis / Wikipedia
(4)
Flavonoids with iNOS inhibitory activity from Pogonatherum crinitum /  Guei-Jane Wang, Yi-Min Chen, Teng-Mao Wang,Tzong-Huei Lee et al / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2008; 118(1): pp 71-78 /
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.03.005
(5)
Comparative analysis of biological activities of green-synthesized silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles using Pogonatherum crinitum extracts / Deepak Kumar Shrestha, Akash Budha Magar, Ishwar Pathak, Niranjan Parajuli, Sugam Sharma, Khaga Raj Shama / Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 2025; 18: 1882024 /
DOI: 10.25259/AJC_188.2024
(6)
A New C-glycosylflavone from Pogonatherum crinitum / Di Zhu, Jie Yang, Mao-Xiang Lai, Qiang Wang / Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, 2010; 8(6): pp 411-413 / DOI: 10.1016/S1875-5364(11)60003-4
(7)
Pogonatherumol, a Novel Highly Oxygenated Norsesquiterpene with Flavone C-Glycosides from Pogonatherum crinitum / Lin Ni, Wei Huang, He-Shan Wang, Hui-you Xu / Journal of Chemistry, 2018; DOI: 10.1155/2018/5029610
(8)
Flavonol glycosides from Pogonatherum crinitum Kunth / GQ Zhao, LY Liu, XX Mao, JX Dong / Chinese Journal of New Drugs, 2011; 20(5): pp 467-470
(9)
Intermittent lead-induced stress on antioxidant enzyme activity and subcellular distribution of Pb in Pogonatherum crinitum seedlings / XL Hou, H Han, FR Meng, LP Cai, AQ Liu / plant biology, 2019; 21(4): pp 634-642 / DOI: 10.1111/plb.12962
(10)
Pogonatherumm crinitum / Pietro Puccio, Mario Beltramini / Monaco Nature Encyclopedia
(11)
Chasmophytic grasses of Velliangiri Hills in the southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India / Binu Thomas, A Rajendran, K Althaf Ahamed Kabeer, R Sivalingam / Journal of Threatened Taa, 2012; 4(15): pp 34662-3472 / eISSN: 0974-7907 / pISSN: 0974-7893

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)