Jarava ichu

Jarava ichu
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Jarava
Species:
J. ichu
Binomial name
Jarava ichu
Synonyms
  • Stipa ichu (Ruiz & Pav.) Kunth
  • Stipa jarava P.Beauv.
  • Jarava arundinacea Willd. ex Steud.
  • Jarava eriostachya (Kunth) Peñail.
  • Jarava usitata Pers.
  • Stipa eriostachya Kunth
  • Stipa gynerioides Phil.
  • Stipa ichu var. gynerioides (Phil.) Hack.
  • Stipa ichu f. interrupta Hack.
  • Stipa liebmannii E.Fourn.

Jarava ichu, commonly known as Peruvian feathergrass, ichhu, paja brava, paja ichu, or simply ichu (Quechua for straw), is a grass species in the family Poaceae native to the Americas. It is found growing in a vast area: Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic, Chile, and Argentina. It is a common grass of the Andean altiplano. It is used as fodder for livestock.

Under the synonym Stipa ichu, it has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.