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Info
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Axonopus = "axle foot" [Greek] refering to the branches of the inflorescence resemling spokes of a wheel
Species etymology: fissifolius = "divided leaf" [Latin], refering to the leaves on the type specimen
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1912
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
Landscape
Node
Description
Plants usually cespitose, sometimes stoloniferous, nodes of the stolons often pilose. Culms 10-75 cm, erect or depressed-decumbent; cauline nodes glabrous or slightly pubescent. Sheaths compressed, mostly glabrous, margins ciliate; ligules 0.2-0.4 mm; blades 4-15 cm long, 1.5-6 mm wide, flat, mostly glabrous, margins with papillose-based cilia. Panicles terminal and axillary, 5-11 cm overall, rachises to 3 cm, with 2-7 branches; branches 2-9(12) cm, spreading or ascending. Spikelets 1.6-2.2(2.8) mm, ovoid or ellipsoid, obtuse to acute. Upper glumes and lower lemmas scarcely extending beyond the upper florets, 2-veined, margins sparsely pilose, apices obtuse to subacute; upper lemmas and paleas 1.6-2.1 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide. Caryopses 1.5-1.8 mm, gray. 2n = 20, 40, 80, 100.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M., Long, S. & Piep, M.B. (eds.) 2003. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 2. Oxford University Press, New York. 783 pp http://floranorthamerica.org/Axonopus_fissifolius )
Cespitose perennials, + stoloniferous; culms 20-60 cm tall, unbranched, internodes up to 2 mm in diameter, pithy, glabrous, nodes glabrous or slightly bearded. Sheaths compressed, glabrous except for the ciliate, overlapping margins, inner margin thin; ligule a truncate, ciliolate, fringed membrane 0.3-0.5 mm long; blades linear, flat or folded, 4-15 cm long, 3-5 mm wide, papillose-ciliate near base, otherwise glabrous, apex obtuse. Inflorescences 5-11 cm long, composed of 2-7 divergent racemes on a short common rachis, racemes slender, 3.5-5 cm long, rachis trigonous, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter, scabrous on angles, peduncles exserted up to 16 cm from terminal sheath; spikelets subsessile, imbricate, ellipticobovate, 2.3-2.8 mm long, acute, pedicels less than 0.2 mm long, sparsely pubescent on margins of glume and sterile lemma and at apex; second glume and first (sterile) lemma equal, 2-nerved, nerves submarginal; fertile floret pale yellowish brown. Caryopsis tan to pale brown, compressedellipsoid to lenticular, 1.4-1.8 mm long. [2n = 20, 40, 50, 54, 60, 80.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )