Flora of the Hawaiian Islands
Monocotyledon Literature for Isachne distichophylla
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999.
   Poaceae -- The Grass Family Bibliography
      Isachne distichophylla

Common name(s): `ohe
General Information
DistributionIn the Hawaiian Islands, endemic to Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Hawai`i.

Poaceae - Isachne distichophylla















Click here for detailed USGS map by Jonathan Price
Habit
Perennials; culms stiffly erect, rather stout, ± decumbent at base and rooting at lower nodes, nodes often purple, 6-10 dm tall, usually many-branched, especially near base, glabrous.
Leaves
Leaves distichous; sheaths green or often purple, especially at collar, striate, 3-5 cm long, margins densely ciliate with appressed, stout hairs up to 2 mm long; ligule densely ciliate, 1.5-2 mm long; blades spreading, stiff, lanceolate, flat, 5-15 cm long, 5-17 mm wide, or lower ones sometimes vestigial, conspicuously striate, retrorsely scabrous, margins distinctly thickened, cartilaginous, usually irregularly crenate, apex acute, base abruptly rounded.
Flowers
Inflorescences paniculate, often purple, ovoid to ellipsoid, (5-)10-20 cm long, 4-10 cm wide, branches stiff, terete, usually spreading, glabrous, lower 1/2-2/3 of primary branches without spikelets; spikelets ovoid, 1.5-1.8 mm long; glumes membranous, equal, broadly ovate or suborbicular, slightly shorter to occasionally slightly longer than fertile florets, glabrous or minutely puberulent near apex, indistinctly 7-11-nerved, sometimes sparsely long-hispid or short-hispid, apex acute and slightly beaked; first floret perfect, plano-convex, apex obtuse, second floret pistillate; lemmas indurate, thick, coriaceous, very sparsely to rather conspicuously pubescent at base and along margins, nerveless; palea partially enclosed by and as long as the lemma, minutely puberulent.
Fruit
Caryopsis reddish brown, ovoid, ca. 1 mm long, smooth.