Isachne pallens Hillebr.

no known common names


Info

Subfamily: Micrairoideae
Genus etymology: Isachne = "equal scale" [Greek] refering to the equal glumes
Species etymology: pallens = "pale" [Latin] refering to the inflorescence
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: endemic

Map

 Distribution of Isachne pallens in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Isachne pallens in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence
Isachne pallens Inflorescence

Plant

Isachne pallens Plant
Isachne pallens Plant
Isachne pallens Plant
Isachne pallens Plant
Isachne pallens Plant
Isachne pallens Plant

Habit

Isachne pallens Habit
Isachne pallens Habit

Spikelets

Isachne pallens Spikelets
Isachne pallens Spikelets
Isachne pallens Spikelets
Isachne pallens Spikelets

Landscape

Isachne pallens Landscape

Description

Perennials; culms lax, decumbent, geniculate below, rooting at nodes, 3-6 dm tall, glabrous. Sheaths short-pubescent at collar; ligule ciliate; blades pale green, linear lanceolate, ca. 6 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, glabrous except scaberulous at base, margins thin, entire. Panicles ovoid, 3-8 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, branches slender, filiform, pedicels longer than spikelets; spikelets ellipsoid to obovoid, ca. 2 mm long; glumes ovate, slightly longer than the florets, first glume indistinctly 5-nerved, second glume 7-nerved; first fertile floret perfect, ellipsoid, villous, the hairs crisped; lemmas plano-convex or hemispherical, 1.3-1.6 mm long, evenly long-pilose, margins slightly clasping palea, apex obtuse; palea oblong to elliptic, slightly recurved, 1.3-1.5 mm long, glabrous except arachnoid pubescent at base, margins inrolled, apex blunt to acute. Caryopsis pale brown, ovoid to plano-convex or lenticular, ca. 1 mm long.
(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 )