Poaceae
Imperata

Imperata brasiliensis Trin.

First published in Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 2: 331 (1832)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Mexico to Tropical America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is used as a medicine.

Descriptions

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 - 1000 m.; Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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
guayacana, víbora
[UNAL]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25-75 cm long; 1 mm diam. Culm-internodes solid; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3-1 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades erect; 6-15 cm long; 8-10 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle 10-20 cm long; glabrous. Panicle spiciform; linear; 6-15 cm long; 1-2 cm wide. Panicle axis scabrous; villous. Panicle branches scabrous; villous. Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets. Rhachis tough; subterete. Rhachis internodes filiform. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; unequal; tip discoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 8-12 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 8-12 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface villous. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface villous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma; oblong; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; erose; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; 0.5-1.1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 1; 1.8-2.8 mm long. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted.
Distribution
North America: southeast USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Fl Costa Rica 1994.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 0–1000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Bolívar, Boyacá, Córdoba, Meta, Vichada.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 0 - 1000 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
[UPB]

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
[AERP]

Uses

Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

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

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • 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