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Info
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus etymology: Koeleria = honorific for Georg Ludwig Koeler (1765–1807)
Species etymology: inaequalis = "not equal" [Latin] refering differing length of the glumes
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Plant
image credit: Forest & Kim StarrHolotype specimen
Description
Perennials; culms tufted, 3-4 dm tall, glabrous. Sheaths 1-2 cm long, striate, glabrous or hispidulous, lower ones chartaceous; ligule ca. 1 mm long, membranous; blades delicate, involute, usually almost capillary, often exceeding the panicles, 20- 30 cm long, usually glabrous, occasionally upper surface scabrous. Panicles silvery brown to yellowish brown, compact, spikelike, globose, 3-6 cm long, rachis villous; spikelets 1-3-flowered, 6-7 mm long, rachilla sparsely villous; glumes unequal, translucent except on the nerves, keeled, scabrous on keel but otherwise glabrous, first glume narrow, 3-3.7 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm wide from keel to margin, 1-nerved, apex acuminate, second glume 4.5-5 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide from keel to margin, 3-nerved, apex acute; lemmas 4-6 mm long, scaberulous, with a delicate, straight dorsal awn 1-2 mm long borne 0.7-1.5 mm below the minutely bifid apex; palea ca. 3 mm long, glossy, keel scaberulous. Caryopsis pale brown, fusiform, slightly laterally compressed, 1.6-2 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 )