Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Milium globosum Thunb. Fl. Jap. 49  (1784); 

Holotype: UPS! Thunberg 2041 Japan.

=Isachne australis R.Br. Prodr. 196  (1810); 

Holotype: BM! R. Brown 6129 Nepean [New South Wales].

=Panicum gonatodes Steud., Syn. Pl. Glum. 1: 95 (1854); 

Holotype: P, n.v., Urville N. Zeeland.

Semi-aquatic, ± glabrous perennials, with decumbent stems branching near base and becoming erect at flowering; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath light green to brownish, submembranous, folded closely around culm, glabrous but ciliate along one margin and along upper part of other. Ligule 0.4-1.8 mm, ciliate. Leaf-blade 3.5-9-(15) cm × 2.5-6.5 mm, flat, linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed above, rather stiff, finely scabrid, tip acute. Culm (15)-30-60-(110) cm, slender, subterete, internodes glabrous. Panicle 5-15 cm, contracted at first, pedunculate and spreading when fully exserted from upper sheath, pyramidal; rachis and branches very slender, smooth or occasionally minutely, sparsely scabrid, often flexuous, with long-pedicelled spikelets borne singly towards tips of filiform branchlets. Spikelets 2-3 mm, oblong, to obovate to obovate-globose, greenish or slightly purplish especially towards very obtuse tip; disarticulation above glumes and between florets; rachilla 0.2-0.4 mm, remaining attached to base of upper floret. Glumes ± equalling spikelet, 7-9-nerved, chartaceous, smooth, or sparsely scabrid on outer nerves, especially near incurved tip. Lower floret ♂, ≈ spikelet: lemma 2-3 mm, texture similar to upper glume, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, glabrous; palea similar in size and texture to lemma; anthers 1-1.7 mm. Upper floret ♀: lemma 1.3-1.8 mm, oblong to suborbicular, obtuse, slightly indurated; palea = lemma, of similar texture; gynoecium: ovary 0.5-0.7 mm, stigma-styles 1.8-2 mm; caryopsis c. 1 × 0.8 mm. Fig. 23.

N.: throughout, especially in northern half; S.: Westland (Mahers Swamp). Edges of swamps and lake margins, often partly submerged, sometimes in deep gullies, coastal.

Indigenous.

Also indigenous to South-East Asia, Japan, and Australia.

Fig. 23 Isachne globosa S, spikelet, × 16; G 1, G 2, glumes ventral and dorsal views, × 16; F 1, lower ♂ floret lateral view, × 16; F 2, upper ♀ floret ventral view, × 16; L, lemma ventral view, × 16; P, palea dorsal view, × 16; Lo, lodicules, × 27; O, ovary, styles and stigmas of ♀ floret, × 27; St, anthers of ♂ floret, × 27. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X7S]