Wavyleaf Basketgrass

Oplismenus undulatifolius is sometimes considered synonymous with O. hirtellus (Linnaeus) P. Beauvois. Although the two taxa intergrade, O. hirtellus (O. aemulus (R. Brown) Roemer & Schultes) generally has longer racemes (to 3 cm) of contiguous spikelets, at least in the lower part of the inflorescence. It has a more tropical distribution than O. undulatifolius and has recently been reported from Taiwan and Yunnan.

Oplismenus undulatifolius intergrades to a large extent with Oplismenus compositus. Indeed these two species and the tropical Oplismenus hirtellus are little more than facies within a continuum. Nevertheless, the combination of spikelet clumps (rather than racemes) and long awns is characteristic of specimens of Oplismenus undulatifolius from temperate regions, whose separation as an entity does seem justified. The boundaries, however, are by no means distinct and depauperate inflorescences of the other two species may lead to confusion. Little more can be done with this complex until its cytology is known.

Oplismenus undulatifolius is another forest species.

Perennial. Culms slender, straggling, ascending from a prostrate base, 20–50 cm tall. Leaf sheaths usually densely tuberculate-hairy, less often glabrous; leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1–15 × 0.3–3 cm, glabrous or variously hairy, base subrounded and usually suboblique, apex acute; ligule ca. 1 mm. Inflorescence axis 9–15 cm, glabrous or hispidulous; racemes 4–9, reduced to dense cuneate fascicles less than 2 cm long, the rachis often setose. Spikelets in 3–5 clustered pairs, lanceolate, hispidulous; glumes herbaceous, awned, the awns stout, purple, viscid; lower glume 3–5-veined, awn 5–10(–15) mm; upper glume 5-veined, awn 2–5 mm; lower lemma herbaceous, 5–9-veined, apex with a stout 1–2 mm mucro, palea absent; upper lemma subcoriaceous, smooth. Fl. and fr. Jul–Nov. 2n = 54.

Perennial with trailing culms 15-50 cm long. Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 1-7 cm long, 4-15 mm wide. Inflorescence 2-8 cm long, comprising 5-11 cuneate fascicles of 2-6 spikelets, or rarely the lower most forming a short raceme. Spikelets lanceolate, 2.5-4 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; glumes with smooth viscid awns, the longest in each fascicle 7-14 mm long.

S. Europe, warm temperate Asia.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab & Kashmir); warm temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, extending southwards on the uplands of Africa to South Africa; India.

2100-2290 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: August-September.

Light shade in forests, moist places. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [warm-temperate and subtropical regions of the N hemisphere, uplands of India and Africa].