Axonopus micay García-Barr, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Spanish: micay, pasto micael, pasto micay

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennials growing in tufts or stoloniferous. Stems up to  150 cm x 4-8 mm, erect or decumbent and rooting, sparingly branched; nodes and internodes glabrous. Leaves cauline; sheath generally glabrous, rarely hairy, sometimes with a marginal fringe of hairs; collar frequently hairy at times glabrous; ligule 0.5-0.9 mm, fringed with hairs; leaves 15-38 cm x 12-18 mm, glabrous below, glabrous or sparsely hairy above, and fringed with hairs to the base, the apex is obtuse. Inflorescences 1-2, 10-12 cm, terminal and axillary; racemes 3-24, 6-16 cm, grow obliquely upwards, inferior racemes frequently branched, central axis of the inflorescence 0.4-0.7 mm wide, triquetrous, marginally scabrous and at times with elongated trichomes. Spikelets 2.2-2.8 mm, sparsely hairy; glume superior and lemma inferior 4-nerved adpressed hairs in the margins; floret superior equal length to the spikelet or up to 0.2 mm shorter, straw colored, apex is sparsely puberulent; anthers 1-1.5 mm."

"Black (1963) considered this to be a prostrate form of Axonopus scoparius. Despite these similarities the differences were sufficient to distinguish two species" (Pohl & Davidse, 1994). [translation provided by Chris Buddenhagen].

Spanish:  "Perennes cespitosas o estoloniferas.  Tallos hasta 150 cm x 4-8 mm, erectos o largamente decumbentes y enraizando, esparcidamente ramificados; entrenudos y nudos glabros.  Hojas principalmente caulinares; vainas generalmente glabras, raramente pilosas, a veces ciliadas; cuello frecuentemente peloso o a veces glabro; ligula 0.5-0.9 mm, ciliolada; láminas 15-38 cm x 12-18 mm, glabras en el envés, blabras o esparcidamente pilosas en el haz, ciliadas hacia la base, el ápice obtuso. Inflorescencias 1-2, 10-12 cm, terminales y axilares; racimos 3-24, 6-16 cm, ascendentes, los inferiores frecuentemente ramificados, el raquis 0.4-0.7 mm de ancho, triquetro, marginalmente escabroso y a veces con unos cuantos tricomas alargados. Espiguillas 2.2-2.8 mm, esparcidamente pelosas; gluma superior y lema inferior 4-nervias, adpreso pelosas en los márgenes; flósculo superior tan largo como la espiguilla o hasta 0.2 mm más corto que ella, pajizo, el ápice esparcidamente puberulento; anteras 1-1.5 mm."

"Black (1963) considera a esta especie como una forma rastrera de Axonopus scoparius. A pesar de que indudablemente ambos taxa están cercanamente emparentado, los caracteres empleados para separar a estas especies son de la misma magnitud de aquellos usados para reconocer numerosos pares de especies cercanas en el género" (Pohl & Davidse, 1994; p. 358).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Cultivated for forage, along trails. 0-2200 m." (Pohl & Davidse, 1994).
"Pasto cultivado para forraje, orillas de caminos. 0-2200 m." (Pohl & Davidse, 1994; p. 358).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Colombia and Venezuela; introduced in Central America and other parts of South America, at least into Ecuador" (Pohl & Davidse, 1994).
"Colombia y O. Venezuela; introducia en Mesoamérica y en otras partes de Sudamérica, al menos hasta Ecuador" (Pohl & Davidse, 1994; p. 358).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Axonopus micay is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Axonopus micay as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Axonopus micay may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Pohl, R. W./Davidse, G. 1994. 129. Axonopus. Flora Mesoamericana 6.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.