Poaceae
Pseudechinolaena

Pseudechinolaena polystachya (Kunth) Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 495 (1919)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropics & Subtropics. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and social uses and as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Annual with slender prostrate culms, often forming a mat; culms 10–30 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 1–8 cm. long, 3–14 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 2–20 cm. long, the lowest raceme 1–6 cm. long, with distant spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3.5–5.7 mm. long; lower glume lanceolate to elliptic, almost as long as the spikelet, acute to acuminate; upper glume strongly gibbous, mostly as long as the spikelet, armed with hooked bristles or these often reduced to short appressed hairs; upper lemma subcoriaceous.
Figures
Fig. 131.
Habitat
In forest shade; 500–2300 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 K6 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 U1 U2 U3 U4 throughout the tropics
[FTEA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Culms slender, ascending, the prostrate portion rooting from the nodes and often forming a dense carpet
Ecology
A forest grass in damp shady places.
[FWTA]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 10-50 cm long; with aerial roots from the nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blade base cuneate; asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1-8 cm long; 3-20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2-8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5-6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2-20 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing distant; irregular. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled, or sessile and pedicelled; the lower smaller (often much reduced).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3.5-5.7 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 3.5-5.7 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate to elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; herbaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or setose; with hooked hairs. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; fenestrate (at the base); truncate. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins convolute. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea involute; coriaceous; without keels.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. SAR 2003.
[GB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
coneja, yerba de conejo
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 2500 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Conservation
Least concern.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Trailing annual with lanceolate leaf laminae, and often with aerial roots at the nodes.
Morphology Culms
Culms 10–30 cm. high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3.5–5.7 mm. long, obliquely ovoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes acute to acuminate, wingless, the inferior almost as long as spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma subcoriaceous.
Superior
Superior lemma subcoriaceous.
[FZ]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Use Medicines
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0