Poaceae
Isachne

Isachne kinabaluensis Merr.

First published in J. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 76: 77 (1917)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Assam to W. Malesia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-60 cm long; woody. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 4-7 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades ascending; lanceolate; 4-15 cm long; 5-10 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 11 cm long; 7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1.5-3.5 cm long. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; incurved at apex. Lower glume ovate; 2.4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; 2.2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.
Reference
Isachneae. Gilliland 1993.
[GB]

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]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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