Oplismenus burmanni (Retz.) P.Beauv.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual with prostrate or trailing culms 10–60 cm. long.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1–9 cm. long, 5–20 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 2–11 cm. long; racemes 0.5–2.5 cm. long, their rhachis hirsute, the spikelets contiguous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 mm. long, pubescent, often with a transverse band of hairs across the middle of the lower lemma, rarely glabrous; glumes with a scaberulous awn, that of the lower 2.5–20 mm. long, the upper shorter.

Habitat

In shade of forest or bushland trees; 0–2100 m.

Distribution

K7 P T1 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 throughout tropical Africaalso tropical America and Asia

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

pelillo

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

Morphology General Habit

Prostrate or trailing annual with delicate lanceolate to narrowly ovate leaf laminae.

Morphology Culms

Culms 10–60 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes up to 2.5 cm. long, the spikelets contiguous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm. long, usually pubescent; awns antrorsely scaberulous, the inferior 2.5–20 mm. long.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–3000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bogotá DC, Bolívar, Boyacá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, Quindío, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

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

Morphology General Habit

Creeping, often with long aerial roots from the nodes

Ecology

Forest shade.

Morphology General Habit

Annual. Culms prostrate; 10-60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 1-9 cm long; 5-20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface hirsute (sparsely), or glabrous (sub). Leaf-blade apex acute (bluntly).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5-2.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2-11 cm long. Rhachis angular; pilose on surface. Spikelet packing contiguous. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal, or the lower smaller. Pedicels oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5-3.5 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.5-3.5 mm long; falling entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes similar, or dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; 0.5-0.75 length of spikelet; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.5-20 mm long; without vesture (but scaberulous). Upper glume ovate; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse; muticous, or awned. Upper glume awn 0-4 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 7-11 -veined; pubescent; without hair tufts, or with a transverse fringe of hair; emarginate; mucronate. Fertile lemma oblong; dorsally compressed; 2-2.5 mm long; coriaceous; shiny; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea involute; coriaceous; without keels.

Distribution

Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

Reference

Paniceae. SAR 2002.

Diagnostic

Spikelet pairs 0.5-2mm apart.