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Isachne distichophylla

Polynesian Isachne-Grass

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Image:	Plant and flowerhead	94KB
Image:	Leaves and flowers	55KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Polynesian Isachne-Grass

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Eastern Polynesia (Hawai‘i, Rarotonga, ?Societies)

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native, Endemic of e.Polynesia (Hawai‘i & Rarotonga); S.Group only (Rarotonga Cloud Zone only); Land, mountains (++), Cloud Zone

KEY FEATURES: Semi-erect grass, to 1m high. STEMS rooting at lower nodes, nodes often purplish, woody, to 1.5m long. LEAVES sheath to 5cm, green or purplish; blade lance-like, to 15x2cm. FLOWERS erect, terminal cluster, minute.

Enlarged Image of 'Isachne distichophylla'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: -
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Isachne distichophylla Munro ex Hillebr.
SYNONYMS: Panicum wiliwilinuiense

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); COMMELINIDAE; Cyperales; POACEAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.1555 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.303 I Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.19 ? Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zupM05a

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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