Oplismenus | |
---|---|
| |
Oplismenus undulatifolius | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
Supertribe: | Panicodae |
Tribe: | Paniceae |
Subtribe: | Boivinellinae |
Genus: | Oplismenus P.Beauv. |
Synonyms [1] [2] | |
|
Oplismenus is a small genus of annual or perennial grasses, commonly known as basketgrass, [3] found throughout the tropics, subtropics, and in some cases, temperate regions of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. [4] The systematics of the genus are unclear, with over 100 described species, only 7 species are officially recognized as of 2016. [5]
The following list includes all currently recognized species of the genus Oplismenus accepted by the Catalogue of Life and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as of March 2016, sorted alphabetically. For each, binomial name is followed by author citation. [6] [7]
|
The members of this genus are scrambling or trailing herbaceous grasses, both annual and perennial. The stems trail along the ground and can root at the nodes. [8] The leaf blades are generally lance-shaped or acuminate to ovate and are covered in scattered hairs, and the leaf sheaths are hairy. [9]
These plants generally grow in shaded habitats such as the forest floor. [10] Annual-type species will usually die off in cooler or drier months while the perennial species typically have much more tolerance. Some species have considerable invasive potential. Unlike some of their relatives, members of this genus use C3 photosynthesis. [10]
The French naturalist Palisot de Beauvois described the genus in August or September 1810 in his Flore d'Oware et de Benin. [11] At a later date, however, it was noted that Robert Brown had also defined the genus earlier the same year, as Orthopogon, in his work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae . [12] Nevertheless, because the name Oplismenus had been universally used for many years, it was ruled a nomen conservandum (conserved name) in 1978. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek hoplismenos ("armed"), because the glumes have awns. [10]
The number of species is unclear, with some disagreement among botanists. In Australia, Oplismenus aemulus and O. imbecillis are recognised as separate species by the Queensland and New South Wales Herbaria, but not by the National Herbarium, which classifies them as synonyms of O. hirtellus. [13]
A multiple discriminant analysis published in 1978 of the characteristics used to define the species of Oplismenus worldwide found a high degree of overlap in Australia, indicating O. aemulus and O. imbecilis fell within the parameters of O. hirtellus, as did the American taxon O. setarius. The other American taxon, O. rariflorus, fell within O. compositus. The authors proposed the recognition of only five species: [14]
The German botanist Ursula Scholz published a monograph in 1981, having studied the genus throughout the world and examined over five thousand specimens, including 61 type specimens. She recognized nine species and 18 infraspecific taxa. [10]
Variegated forms have been cultivated as house plants in Europe. [10] Locally occurring species in Australia have been used for revegetation and reclamation in shady or wet areas, though some can be invasive. [8] Some have been promoted as local native plants for wildlife gardens, [15] and as lawn grass. [16] They are edible to livestock. [9]
Arrhenatherum, commonly called oatgrass or button-grass, is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the grass family.
Echinochloa is a very widespread genus of plants in the grass family and tribe Paniceae. Some of the species are known by the common names barnyard grass or cockspur grass.
Brachyelytrum is a genus of North American and East Asian plants in the grass family, classified in its own tribe Brachyelytreae.
Raphia vinifera, the West African piassava palm, bamboo palm or West African bass fibre is a palm tree species in the genus Raphia. It is native to Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Ghana, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is particularly abundant along the creeks of Niger Delta, Cross River, Lagos and Ikorodu in Nigeria.
Setaria is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Latin word seta, meaning "bristle" or "hair", which refers to the bristly spikelets.
Enneapogon is a cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family.
Eriochrysis is a genus of African and Neotropical plants in the grass family.
Lithachne is a genus of Neotropical plants in the grass family.
Streptogyna is a widespread genus of tropical plants in the grass family. It is the only genus in the monotypic tribe Streptogyneae.
Diarrhena, or beakgrain, is a genus of Asian and North American plants in the grass family.
Elytrophorus is a genus of Asian, African, and Australian plants in the grass family.
Gymnopogon (skeletongrass) is a genus of American and Southeast Asian plants in the grass family.
Ichnanthus, commonly called bedgrass, is a genus of tropical plants in the grass family, widespread in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Leptochloa is a widespread genus of Asian, African, Australian, and American plants in the grass family.
Megastachya is a genus of African plants in the grass family.
Oplismenus hirtellus, commonly known as basket grass, is a species of flowering perennial plant from the family Poaceae that can be found on every continent in the world except Antarctica, growing mostly in coastal tropic and subtropic regions as well as tropical and subtropical islands such as Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and Madagascar.
Oplismenus compositus, the running mountaingrass, is a species of perennial plant from the family Poaceae that can be found throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, Mexico and Hawaii.
Oplismenus undulatifolius, commonly known as wavyleaf basketgrass, is a species of perennial grass from the family Poaceae that is native to Eurasia, specifically Southern Europe through Southern Asia. Due to its invasive nature, it can be found in countries such as Pakistan, China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, South Africa, and has since been introduced to the Mid-Atlantic United States. There are no recognized subspecies in Catalogue of Life.
Paniceae is a large tribe of the subfamily Panicoideae in the grasses (Poaceae), the only in the monotypic supertribe Panicodae. It includes roughly 1,500 species in 84 genera, primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Paniceae includes species using either of the C4 and C3 photosynthetic pathways, as well as presumably intermediate species. Most of the millets are members of tribe Paniceae.
Paractaenum novae-hollandiae is a grass, native to Western Australia. It is an annual herb growing from 0.2 to 0.5 m high, on sands and loams. Its green-purple flowers may be seen from March to September.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)