▁Japanese ▁forest ▁grass , ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁monot yp ic ▁genus . ▁It ▁is ▁en demic ▁to ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Description ▁H ak one ch lo a ▁mac ra ▁is ▁a ▁small , ▁mostly ▁sh ade - lo ving , ▁cl ump - form ing ▁bunch gr ass , ▁slowly ▁spread ing ▁in ▁circum ference . ▁The ▁stal ks ▁cas cade ▁in ▁a ▁grace ful ▁rounded ▁f ount ain ▁shape ▁somewhat ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁P ennis et um ▁( f ount ain ▁grass ) ▁but ▁with ▁the ▁actual ▁leaves ▁res emb ling ▁Ch as man th ium . ▁The ▁species ▁tends ▁to ▁be ▁between ▁ 4 5   cm ▁and ▁ 6 0   cm ▁( 1 8 " ▁to ▁ 2 4 ") ▁in ▁height . ▁ ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁thin ▁and ▁pap ery ▁and ▁res emble ▁many ▁forms ▁of ▁b am bo o . ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁very ▁flexible ▁and ▁have ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁rust ling ▁sound ▁when ▁the ▁wind ▁blow s ▁that ▁adds ▁to ▁their ▁appeal . ▁ ▁The ▁fol i age ▁r ises ▁from ▁the ▁roots ▁on ▁thin ▁wir y ▁stal ks . ▁The ▁leaf ▁bl ades ▁are ▁green ▁but ▁many ▁color ▁variations ▁exist . ▁ ▁The ▁pap ery ▁texture ▁keeps ▁the ▁fol i age ▁cool ▁to ▁the ▁touch ▁and ▁often ▁the ▁surface ▁is ▁slightly ▁pu cker ed ▁or ▁r ipp led . ▁ ▁The ▁flowers ▁blo om ▁in ▁mid sum mer ▁from ▁leaf ▁nodes ▁near ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁stal ks . ▁