Isachne distichophylla Munro ex Hillebr.

'ohe


Info

Subfamily: Micrairoideae
Genus etymology: Isachne = "equal scale" [Greek] refering to the equal glumes
Species etymology: distichophylla = "leaves in two rows" [Greek] refering to the leaf arrangement
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: endemic

Map

 Distribution of Isachne distichophylla in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Isachne distichophylla in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence
Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence
Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence
Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence
Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence
Isachne distichophylla Inflorescence

Plant

Isachne distichophylla Plant
Isachne distichophylla Plant

Spikelets

Isachne distichophylla Spikelets
Isachne distichophylla Spikelets
Isachne distichophylla Spikelets

Collar

Isachne distichophylla Collar
Isachne distichophylla Collar
Isachne distichophylla Collar

Leaf margin

Isachne distichophylla Leaf margin
Isachne distichophylla Leaf margin
Isachne distichophylla Leaf margin

Description

Perennials; culms stiffly erect, rather stout, + decumbent at base and rooting at lower nodes, nodes often purple, 6-10 dm tall, usually many-branched, especially near base, glabrous. Leaves distichous; sheaths green or often purple, especially at collar, striate, 3-5 cm long, margins densely ciliate with appressed, stout hairs up to 2 mm long; ligule densely ciliate, 1.5-2 mm long; blades spreading, stiff, lanceolate, flat, 5-15 cm long, 5-17 mm wide, or lower ones sometimes vestigial, conspicuously striate, retrorsely scabrous, margins distinctly thickened, cartilaginous, usually irregularly crenate, apex acute, base abruptly rounded. Inflorescences paniculate, often purple, ovoid to ellipsoid, (5-) 10-20 cm long, 4-10 cm wide, branches stiff, terete, usually spreading, glabrous, lower 1/2-1/3 of primary branches without spikelets; spikelets ovoid, 1.5-1.8 mm long; glumes membranous, equal, broadly ovate or suborbicular, slightly shorter to occasionally slightly longer than fertile florets, glabrous or minutely puberulent near apex, indistinctly 7-11-nerved, sometimes sparsely long-hispid or short-hispid, apex acute and slightly beaked; first floret perfect, plano-convex, apex obtuse, second floret pistillate; lemmas indurate, thick, coriaceous, very sparsely to rather conspicuously pubescent at base and along margins, nerveless; palea partially enclosed by and as long as the lemma, minutely puberulent. Caryopsis reddish brown, ovoid, ca. 1 mm long, smooth.
(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 )