An ornamental grass, 3-4 ft. high, with broad, gracefully arching leaves, which are green in the common form, but beautifully variegated in another. The female flowers give rise to the cylindrical or conelike masses of fruit popularly known as "cobs", which are not only useful as food, but are also ornamental on the plant, and in a dried state. Both green and variegated forms, but especially the latter, are grown for bedding-out purposes. They are raised from seeds sown in heat in March, the young plants being hardened off and lit for sale in May and June.