Microlaena stipoides (Labill.) R.Br., Poaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Ehrharta stipoides Labill.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: meadow ricegrass, weeping grass

French: faux-stipe, microléne

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Slender rhizomatous perennials; culms ascending or erect, usually decumbent at base, 30-75 cm tall, glabrous.  Sheaths 2-6 cm long, shorter than internodes, glabrous or retrorsely scabrous; ligule membranous, 0.2-0.5 mm long, margins erose; blades flat, 3-8 (-14) cm long, 2-3 mm wide, glabrous or scaberulous, margins scabrous.  Inflorescences paniculate, suberect to nodding, (4-) 10-19 cm long, narrow, usually unbranched; spikelets widely spaced, paired or solitary, chasmogamous or cleistogamous, appressed along the slender axis, each one ca 10 mm long (excluding awns), pedicels 1-2 mm long, rachilla somewhat elongate above glumes and between sterile lemmas; glumes membranous, nerveless, first glume 0.2-0.5 mm long, apex acute, second glume 0.5-0.7 mm long, apex acute or bifid; sterile lemma similar to glumes, coriaceous, obscurely 5-nerved, the nerves scaberulous, margins membranous, apex with a scabrous awn 8-12 mm long, callus conspicuous, appressed silky pilose, the hairs ca 1 mm long; fertile lemma 5-6 mm long, enclosed within margins of uppermost sterile lemma, obscurely 7-nerved, somewhat keeled, scabrous on upper part of keel, apex apiculate, palea membranous, narrow, linear, shorter than lemma, 1-nerved, keeled, the keel sparsely ciliate, margins hyaline.  Caryopsis yellow, narrow, somewhat compressed, 5-6 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1536, 1908).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in openings in wet forest and other moist, shaded sites, 20-1,400 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1536).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, New Guinea and the Philippines (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) Voucher cited: H.T. Clifford s.n. (NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: F.C. Allen 55 (CHR, K); 1902, J.H. Maiden & J.L. Boorman (NSW)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1536) Voucher cited: Hitchcock 14465 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. (1998) (p. 25) Voucher cited: Ellshoff 196 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 45) Vouchers cited: T. Flynn 683 (PTBG), W.L. Wagner et al. 4944 (BISH, US), T. Flynn 1093 (BISH, PTBG) Naturalized at higher elevations.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1536)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (p. 6) Voucher cited: Hughes 1132 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1536)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	native	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (p. 171)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	native	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 51) "Open lowland forest and manuka-kanuka scrub, ruderal and in rough pasture; sea level to 1300 m".
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Henty, E. E. (1969) (p. 125) Widely spread in highland regions at altitudes from 7000 to 8000 feet, mostly in sheltered damp situations.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 78) On open slopes and ridges, along mountain trails, etc., altitude 1,800 to 2,300 m.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	native	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 51) "Open lowland forest and manuka-kanuka scrub, ruderal and in rough pasture; sea level to 1300 m".

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Très envahissant"
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Comité français de l'Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature en France (2013) Naturalisée, envahissant.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Microlaena stipoides, please let us know.