Poaceae
Iseilema

Iseilema prostratum (L.) Andersson

First published in Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal., ser. 3, 2: 251 (1856)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming, or caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 10-60 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3-20 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute, or acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; linear; 5-30 cm long. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; 0.7-1.2 cm long; herbaceous; tuberculate (on midnerve). Racemes 1; single; oblong; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis internodes linear. Raceme-bases brief (truncate). Spikelets in threes (basal paired). Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; with both pairs arising at about the same level; pedicelled; deciduous with the fertile; male; 3-4 mm long; equalling fertile, or larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; ciliate on margins. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 2.5-4.5 mm long; as long as fertile, or longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes cartilaginous; glabrous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; with both pairs arising at about the same level; pedicelled; deciduous with the fertile; male; 3-4 mm long; equalling fertile, or larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes herbaceous; ciliate on margins. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 2.5-4.5 mm long; as long as fertile, or longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes cartilaginous; glabrous; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; membranous; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 5-12 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.
[GB]

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