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Koeleria inaequalis

(Whitney) Barberá, Quintanar, Soreng & P.M.Peterson (2019)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Koeleria

trisetum

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial.

Stems: Culms tufted, 3–4 dm tall, glabrous.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades delicate, involute, usually almost capillary often exceeding the panicles, 20–30 cm long. Surfaces usually glabrous, occasionally Upper surfaces scabrous. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheaths 1–2 cm long, striate, glabrous or hispidulous, lower ones chartaceous; ligule ca. 1 mm long, membranous. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in panicles silvery brown to yellowish brown, compact. Spikelike, globose, 3–6 cm long, rachis villous; spikelets 1–3–flowered, 6–7 mm long, rachilla sparsely villous; glumes unequal, translucent except on the nerves, keeled, scabrous on keel but otherwise glabrous, first glume narrow, 3–3.7 mm long, 0.3–0.5 mm wide from keel to margin, 1–nerved, apex acuminate, second glume 4.5–5 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide from keel to margin, 3–nerved, apex acute; lemmas 4–6 mm long, scaberulous, with a delicate, straight dorsal awn 1–2 mm long borne 0.7–1.5 mm below the minutely bifid apex; palea ca. 3 mm long, glossy, keel scaberulous. Stamens 3. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Caryopsis pale brown; fusiform; slightly laterally compressed; 1.6–2 mm long.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring on open; grassy slopes and steep ridges and slopes in dry forest.

Elevation Range: 730–1,000 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

O'ahu Endemic
Lana'i Endemic
Maui Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Phytoneuron 2019-46: 5 (2019)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1602 (L, M [as Trisetum inaequale]); Oppenheimer 2008:33 (REDISCOVER/L); Barberá et al. 2019:5/Faccenda 2025b:117 (COMBNOV, Syn. Trisetum inaequale = Koeleria inaequalis); Faccenda 2022:75 (O); Hank Oppenheimer pers. obs./Hank Oppenheimer H40732 PTBG (L†, 2007)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Koeleria inaequalis W Maui, Lahaina District, Lihau Lowland Koa Mesic Forest at 3300 ft on an embankment with Acacia koa, Metrosideros, Dodonaea, Styphelia, Psychotria, Myrsine, Lythrum and Nephrolepis Preserved_Specimen Welton, P. 1553 Maui BISH 1992-05-24
2 Koeleria inaequalis W Maui, Lahaina District, Lihau Lowland Koa Mesic Forest at 3250 ft on a ridge beneath a of canopy of 7- 8m Acacia koa, Psychotria, Dodonaea, Coprosma and Myrsine with a understory of native ferns, sedges and Liparis Preserved_Specimen Welton, P. 946 Maui BISH 1991-07-09
3 Koeleria inaequalis Foothills of Lihua Peak On open ridge and in shrub understory. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 512 Maui BISH 1979-05-02
4 Koeleria inaequalis Kaohai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 264 Lanai BISH 1914-03-19
5 Koeleria inaequalis West Maui, Olowalu Valley, left-hand ridge Edge of pali Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2296 Maui BISH 1920-05-10
6 Koeleria inaequalis Lahaina District, Main (left) fork of Manawainui Gulch Preserved_Specimen Clumping. Nagata, K.M. 1916 Maui BISH 1979-06-06
7 Koeleria inaequalis Kauaula, SE rim mesic forest, steep to vertical rocky slopes; 30% Metrosideros, 5-7 m, 10% Dodonaea viscosa 3-4 m, 10% Coprosma foliosa, 2 m, 5% Pipturus albidus, 3 m, Leptecophylla tameiameiae, Dianella sandwicensis, Dicranopteris linearis, Bidens micrantha, Neraudia melastomifolia Preserved_Specimen clumping grass; old inflorescence Wood, K.R. 12089 Maui BISH 2005-08-23
8 Koeleria inaequalis West Maui, Olowalu Valley, left-hand ridge Edge of pali Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2296 Maui BISH 1920-05-10
9 Koeleria inaequalis Waiakeakua Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 154 Lanai BISH 1927-07-18
10 Koeleria inaequalis Kauaula, below SE rim mixed mesic shrubland, grassland, steep to vertical rocky slopes and ridges; Leptecophylla tameiameiae, Dodonaea viscosa, Dianella sandwicensis, Morelotia gahniiformis, Dicranopteris linearis, Bidens micrantha, Neraudia melastomifolia, Melicope hawaiiense, Zanthoxylum hawaiiensis Preserved_Specimen grass; mature spiklets turning light brown Wood, K.R. 11925 Maui BISH 2006-06-20
11 Koeleria inaequalis W Maui, Lahaina District, slopes of Lihau Peak Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 819 Maui BISH 1980-05-17
12 Koeleria inaequalis Kalama Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 317 Lanai BISH 1914-03-19
13 Koeleria inaequalis Waiakeakua Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 154 Lanai BISH 1927-07-18
14 Koeleria inaequalis Lanai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH
15 Koeleria inaequalis Lanai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH
16 Koeleria inaequalis Lanai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH
17 Koeleria inaequalis Kaohai, Kapua Very rare in semi-dry place on open grassy slope. Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1974 Lanai BISH 1938-04-15
18 Koeleria inaequalis W Maui, Pohakea Gulch Steep slopes in dry forest. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 525 Maui BISH 1979-05-10
19 Koeleria inaequalis West Maui, Lahaina District, slopes of Helu, Kauaula Valley, S side On S side, upper rocky steep slopes. Vegetation: Metrosideros, Coprosma, Dodonaea, Bidens, Vaccinium, Lysimachia, Pteridium, Sadleria, Luzula, Eragrostis, Deschampsia, Agrostis, Polypodium, Lycopodiella, Leptecophylla, Wikstroemia, Sophora, Osteomeles, Lythrum, Dicranopteris, Selaginella. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 50716 Maui BISH 2007-05-11
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