Isachne nipponensis

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 20–50 cm long; 0.3–0.8 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes 1–6 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded. Leaf-blades elliptic, or ovate; 2–4.5 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; entire, or undulate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–6 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–3 -nate; 1–4 cm long; bearing 1–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.3–1.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of spikelet; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.3–1.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of spikelet; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea indurate; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia.

NOTES Isachneae. Koyama 1994.

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