SYNTAXONOMY OF MISCANTHUS-X-GIGANTEUS GREEF-ET-DEU

Miscanthus grasses are perennial C4 plants with a high biomass per are a production. The potential use as sustainable crops in view of energy or fibre use is considered. In particular the species Miscanthus x gi ganteus GREEF et DEU. is discussed and found to be suitable for the pr oduction of energy and/or raw material for the paper industry. The tax onomy and the cytological background of the species is not clearly dis tinguished. The cytological, anatomical and morphological observation in the present study indicate, that this species have hybrid character istics with a triploid chromosome set. The origin of the species is un known and it is proposed, that M. sacchariflorus and probably M. sinen sis are involved in the hybridisation. Based on the present results, t hat this species is to be classified in the section Triarrhena.