Isachne confusa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–45 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes ridged. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 0.5–0.8 cm long; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs, or absent. Leaf-blade base cordate, or amplexicaul. Leaf-blades ovate; 1.5–2.5 cm long; 3–7 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 50–70 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–3 cm long; 2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches stiff; flexuous; secund.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; dorsally compressed; 1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; ovate; 1 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma orbicular; 1 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: northwestern.

NOTES Isachneae. Gilliland 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.