Poaceae
Vossia

Vossia cuspidata (Roxb.) Griff.

First published in Ic. Pl. Asiat.: t. 153 (1851)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa, Assam to Indo-China. It is a helophyte or perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms submerged or floating, up to 7 m. long and 1 cm. in diameter, spongy, with fibrous roots from the nodes, standing 1–2 m. out of the water.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear, 30–100 cm. long and 6–18 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 1–12, each 10–30 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet narrowly ovate; lower glume 2–4 cm. long, the body 6–8 mm. long and yellowish, the tail green. Pedicelled spikelet a little smaller than the sessile.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet narrowly ovate; lower glume 2–4 cm. long, the body 6–8 mm. long and yellowish, the tail green.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet a little smaller than the sessile.
Figures
Fig. 193.
Habitat
In or close to water, often floating; 0–1800 m.
Distribution
K3 K5 T1 T2 T4 T6 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4 throughout tropical Africa and in India
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Tropical Africa
Morphology Stem
Stems submerged or floating, up to 7 m long and 1 cm in diam., spongy, with fibrous roots from the nodes, standing 1–2 m out of the water; leaves 30–100 cm x 6–18 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 1–12, each 10–30 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet a little smaller than the sessile. Sessile spikelet narrowly ovate; lower glume 2–4 cm long, the body 6–8 mm long and yellowish, the tail green
[FSOM]

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms submerged or floating, up to 7 m long and 1 cm in diameter, spongy, with fibrous roots from the nodes, standing 1–2 m out of the water.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminas 30–100 cm × 6–18 mm, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes 1–12, each 10–30 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet narrowly ovate; inferior glume 2–4 cm long, the body 6–8 mm long, yellowish with green tail. Pedicelled spikelet a little smaller than the sessile.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet narrowly ovate; inferior glume 2–4 cm long, the body 6–8 mm long, yellowish with green tail.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet a little smaller than the sessile.
[FZ]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 100-200 cm long; 5-10 mm diam.; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 30-100 cm long; 6-18 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1-12; single, or paired, or digitate; 10-30 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes (tardily); angular; scabrous on margins. Rhachis internodes cuneate. Rhachis internode tip transverse; flat. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels cuneate; flattened; scabrous; tip rectangular.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; ovate; dorsally compressed; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; glabrous; caudate. 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 ovate; dorsally compressed; caudate; 20-40 mm long (the body 6-8 mm); falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; attached transversely. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; ovate; dorsally compressed; shorter than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; glabrous; caudate. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; caudate; 20-40 mm long (the body 6-8 mm); falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base truncate; attached transversely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2-5 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; yellow; 2-keeled; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged above. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume apex caudate. Upper glume ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5-9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 8 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute.
Distribution
Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, the spongy culms submerged or floating, rooting from the submerged nodes
Ecology
In water near the margins of lakes and rivers.
[FWTA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/120215546/120215563

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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]

Common Names

English
Hippo Grass, Hippo grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Somalia

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • 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/

  • 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 2024. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/