Oplismenus hirtellus (L.) P.Beauv. subsp. hirtellus

synonyms: Oplismenus oahuensis, Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius [misapplied in Hawai'i], Oplismenus undulatifolius [misapplied in Hawai'i], Panicum oahuaense


basketgrass, honohono, honohono maoli, honohono kukui


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Oplismenus = "armed" [Greek] refering to the long awns of the glumes
Species etymology: hirtellus = "small hairy" [Latin] refering to the slightly hairy leaves and sheaths
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1826

Map

 Distribution of Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Inflorescence
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Inflorescence
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Inflorescence

Plant

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Plant
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Plant
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Plant

Habit

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Habit

Spikelets

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Spikelets
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Spikelets
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Spikelets
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Spikelets

Landscape

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Landscape

Node

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Node

Collar

Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Collar
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. hirtellus Collar

Description

Perennial with rambling culms 15–100 cm. long or more. Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1–13 cm. long, 4–20 mm. wide. Inflorescence 3–15 cm. long, comprising 3–9 racemes each 0.5–3 cm. long with glabrous to sparsely pilose rhachis and ± contiguous spikelets, or the upper reduced to fascicles; sometimes all the racemes very short, but then the awns also short (less than 7 mm.). Spikelets lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; glumes with smooth viscid awns, the longest in each pair of spikelets 3–14 mm. long.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D. & Renvoize, S.A. 1982. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Gramineae (Part 3). A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. 448 pp. )

Rambling perennial with lanceolate to narrowly ovate leaf laminae. Culms 15–100 cm. long or more. Racemes with a distinct rhachis up to 3 cm. long, the spikelet pairs contiguous; rarely the racemes all ± cuneate, but then awns also short. Spikelets 2–4 mm. long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; awns smooth and sticky, the longest in each pair of spikelets 3–14 mm.
(Description source: Launert, E. & Pope, G.V. (eds.). 1989. Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 10. Part 3. Kew, London. 152 pp. )

Plants perennial. Culms to 90 cm, mostly decumbent and rooting at the nodes, distal 15-35 cm ascending when flowering; nodes usually pubescent; internodes usually pubescent along 1 side (sometimes glabrous). Sheaths conspicuously ciliate on the margins; ligules 0.4-1.6(2.3) mm, ciliate; blades (0.6)1.3-11.5 cm long, 2-20 mm wide, glabrous, scabrous, or pubescent, margin(s) usually undu-lating. Panicles (1.5)2.5-16.5 cm, with 2-10 primary branches; branches 0.1-2.5 cm. Spikelets 2.2-3.5(4.5) mm; calluses shortly pubescent at the base awns usually purplish. Lower glumes 1.5-3 mm, scabridulous and/or pubescent, 3-5-veined, awns (1.6)3.2-14.5 mm; upper glumes 1.5-2.5 mm, sparsely pubescent, 5-7-veined, awns 0.8-6(10) mm; lower florets usually sterile, occasionally staminate; lower lemmas 2.2-3.1 mm, sparsely pubescent above, (5)7-9-veined, awns 0.1-1.2 mm; lower paleas absent or to 2.3 mm, hyaline; upper lemmas (2.1)2.3-3 mm, glabrous, weakly cartilaginous, white to cream-colored; anthers 3, 1.3-1.7 mm. Caryopses 1.7-1.8 mm long, 0.5-0.9 mm wide, glabrous. 2n = 36, (54), 72, (90).
(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/Oplismenus_hirtellus )

Perennials; culms decumbent, but flowering culms ascending, 2-4 dm long, glabrous or scabrous to short-pilose, nodes usually densely short-pilose. Sheaths glabrous or appressed pubescent, villous on margins, the surface sometimes hirsute, collar villous; ligule membranous, 0.6-0.8 mm long, truncate, margins with setae, 1-2 mm long; blades thin, lanceolate, usually somewhat asymmetrical at base, 5-10 cm long, 8-17 mm wide, upper surface very sparsely hispid, lower surface hispid or glabrous, apex acuminate. Racemes ascending to appressed, 7-15 cm long, the lowest raceme 2-4 cm long, rachis scabrous or hispidulous in upper part, sometimes hispid on upper angles; adjacent spikelet pairs of lower racemes 0.5-4 mm apart; glumes ovate, 5-7-nerved, sparsely pilose, apex acute, first glume with an awn 5-10 mm long, second glume similar to first glume, but with an awn 1-2 mm long; first lemma similar to second glume, 3-4 mm long, short-awned; first palea, if present, hyaline, 3-3.5 mm long; second lemma white, ovate-lanceolate, coriaceous, 2.5-3 mm long, glabrous, glossy, margins enclosing palea, apex acute; second palea white, ovate, coriaceous, 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, glossy, apex acute, margins inrolled. Caryopsis ca. 2.5 mm long. [2n = 54, 60, 72, 90.]
(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 )