Poaceae
Chionochloa

Chionochloa howensis S.W.L.Jacobs

First published in Telopea 3: 281 (1988)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Lord Howe Island. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 50-100 cm long; 4-5 -noded. Culm-internodes ridged; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-1 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; involute; 30-60 cm long; 6-12 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense; 15-25 cm long; 6-8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2-5 -nate; 5-10 cm long. Panicle axis terete, or angular; pubescent. Panicle branches angular; pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-3 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.25 mm long; pilose; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5-1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.25 mm long; pilose; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 0.5-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4-5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5-5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.5-2.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned, or 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical, or from a sinus; curved; 5-10 mm long overall; without a column. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.25 mm long; glabrous. Anthers 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Arundineae. Jacobs 2001.
[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: 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

    • '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 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 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