Hitchcock — TJic Grasses of Ha-waii 201 



38. ISACHNE R. Br. 



Spikelets obovoid to subglobose. Glumes membranaceous, about equal and as long as the 

 fruits or at maturity exceeded by them. Lower floret perfect or staminate, its lemma and palea 

 indurate and similar in form and texture to those of the upper floret. Both florets (or fruits) 

 plano-convex, obtuse, equal in size or the upper shorter, the pair usually remaining attached by 

 the minute rachilla joint between them.^'' Perennial or rarely annual grasses with simple or 

 usually branching stems, flat, strongly nerved blades, and paniculate inflorescence. 



Fertile florets strongly villous i. I. pallens. 



Fertile florets nearly glabrous 2. I. distichophylla. 



I. Isachne pallens Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 504. i^ 



Plants perennial, glabrous ; culms rather lax, decumbent, 30 to 60 cm. tall ; blades mostly 

 3 to 10 cm. long and 5 to 7 mm. wide, firm ; panicle ovoid, 3 to 8 cm. long, 2 to 3 cm. wide ; 

 spikelets 2 mm. long, elliptic; fertile florets elliptic, strongly villous all over with a crisp 

 pubescence (fig. 91). 



Damp forests. Originally described from "Woods of the eastern division 

 of Oahu." 

 Kauai; Between Kawaikoi and Waiokooli, Forbes 1055. Along Hanapepe River, 



near the falls, Heller 2489. 

 Oahu: Nuuanu Valley, Forbes 1603; Koolauloa ^fountains, Forbes in 1909. 



Waiahole Valley, Rock 17326; without locality, Forbes in 1907. 



2. Isachne distichophylla Alunro; Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isl. 504. li 



Plants perennial, glabrous; culms rather stout, 50 to 100 cm. tall; blades stiff anfl firm, 

 lanceolate, flat, mostly 8 to 15 cm. long, i to 2 cm. wide; panicle oval or elliptic, 10 to 15 cm. 

 long, 6 to 8 cm. wide ; spikelets ovoid, a little less than 2 mm. long, the glumes rather faintly 

 nerved; fertile florets glabrous except for a few hairs at the base and along the margins 

 (fig. 92 J. 



Moist woods. Originally described from the Hawaiian islands. "In the 

 forests of all islands! at altitudes of 2000-3000 ft.; but not common." 

 Oahu: Without locality, Forbes 1845; l^iann & Brigham 213. Behind Honolulu, 



Wilkes Expl. Exped. 

 Molokai: Wailau Valley, Forbes 558; without locality, Forbes 236. 

 Lanai: Upper part of mountain, Hitchcock 14642; Forbes 256; Munro 346, 364. 

 Maui: Mt. Eeke, Forbes 358. 

 Hawaii: Alakalei, Rock 4135; Kilauea, Rock; Hitchcock 14598. Papaaloa, Forbes 



412; Waimea, Hitchcock 14395; Koolapuuwale, Forbes 277. Xa Puu o 



Pele, Wilkes Expl. Exped. (Gray Herbarium). Without locality, 



Forbes 710. 



39. OPLISMENUS Beauv. 



Spikelets terete or somewhat laterally compressed, subsessile, solitary or in pairs, in two 

 rows crowded or approximate on one side of a narrow scabrous or hairy rachis ; glumes about 

 equal, emarginate or 2-lobed, awned from between the lobes ; sterile lemma exceeding the glumes 

 and fruit, notched or entire, mucronate or short-awned, inclosing a hyaline palea ; fertile lemma 

 elliptic, acute, convex or boat-shaped, the firm margins clasping the palea, not inrolled. Freely 



"For further discussion see Chase, Agnes, Genera Paniceae IV: Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. 24, 

 p. 149, 191 1. 



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