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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
Inflorescence
Plant
Habit
Spikelets
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 )