Ischaemum molle Hook.f.

First published in Fl. Brit. India 7: 128 (1896)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Pakistan to India, Myanmar. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25-130 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded, or cordate; with a false petiole (upper leaves); petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 6-13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Racemes 2; paired; appressed back to back; 4-14 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; angular; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes oblong; 3-4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 1-2 mm long; 0.25-0.33 length of internode; ciliate.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or oblong; asymmetrical; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; keeled; winged on keels (1 keel). Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous, or 1-awned.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; inserted. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or oblong; asymmetrical; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; keeled; winged on keels (1 keel). Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous, or 1-awned.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 5-6 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; inserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; 9-11 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; muricate; rough on flanks (or faintly rugose across back); glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume lanceolate; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4.5-5.5 mm long; membranous; 3-5 -veined; ciliate on margins; fringed above. Fertile lemma oblong; 4-5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 12-20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2-3 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Fl Pak 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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176936/7334242

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

    • '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/
  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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