From Greek
koilos “hollow” and rhachis “rachis, axis, midrib of a leaf”, the rachis is concave, swollen and hollow.
About 20 species, Africa, Asia, Australasia, and America. Plant perenial or annual, rather variable, herbaceous, branched, robust, clump forming. Culm
internodes solid. Auricle absent. Ligule fringed. Blades linear and flat. Plants bisexual. Inflorescence axillary. Raceme single cylindrical or flattened; peduncle
racemes; partial inflorescence; racemes linear bearing pairs of sessile and pedicellate spikelets; sessile spikelet unawned; lower floret barren. Glume 2, more or less equal.
Lower glume smooth and 2-keeled. Upper glume awnless. Palea present. Lodicule 2, free and fleshy. Stamen 3. Ovary glabrous. Stigma 2 reddish to red.
Damp soils, grassland, open habitats, open woodland, savannah.
20.1. Coelorachis glandulosa Trin. Stapf ex Ridl. Fl. Malay. Penin. 5: 204. 1925.
Manisuris glandulosa Trin. Kuntze. Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 780. 1891. Mnesithea glandulosa Trin. de Koning Sosef. Blumea 312: 290. 1986.
Ophiuros muriculatus Steud. Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 360. 1854. Rottboellia glandulosa Trin. Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Petersbourg, Ser. 6, Sci.
Math. 24: 250. 1832.
Plants perennial. Culms 100-235 cm long. Sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule 1 mm long, a ciliolate membrane. Blades 20-50 cm by 15-30 mm, margin
scaberulous, apex acuminate. Inflorescence: synflorescence compound, paniculate; composed of racemes, terminal and axilary, subtended by a spatheole, exserted;
spatheole linear. Racemes 7-15 cm long. Rachis fragile at the nodes, angular, glabrous on surface, internodes 4 mm long, cuneate. Spikelets appressed, in pairs;
fertile spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster; companion sterile spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the cluster. Pedicels 4 mm long, columnar, semiterete, tip cupuliform. Fertile spikelets
comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile florets, without rachilla extension, oblong, 4 mm long, falling entire, callus pubescent, base truncate, attached transversely. Glumes
dissimilar, exceeding apex of florets, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume as long as spikelet, ovate, indurate, 2 keeled, winged on keel, 7-nerved, apex acute, surface
with hooked spines. Upper glume oblong, chartaceous, 1-keeled, winged on keel, 3- nerved, surface puberulous. Florets: basal sterile florets barren, with palea; lemma
ovate, hyaline, 3-nerved, ciliolate on margins; palea 0.7 length of lemma. Fertile lemma 2.6 mm long, elliptic, hyaline, without keel, 3-nerved, palea 0.8 times length of
lemma.
Notes
Found in Indo-China and Malesia.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Minahasa, Amurang, Popareng; Talaud, Karakelang, Beo, Alt. 100 m.. Central: NE Luwuk, on road from Biak to Poso, Alt. 200 m, 0
49’S 122 50’ E.
Southeast: Kendari, Poehara, Alt. 50 m. Habitat
Forest on raised coralline limestone.
Specimen examined Koorders
17282 β BO; Kjellberg 683 BO; Coode 5804 BO; Lam 2620
BO. 21.
COIX L. Type: Coix lacryma-jobi L. Sp. Pl. 2: 972. 1753.
Lachryma-jobi Ortega. Tab. Bot. 30. 1773. Lachrymaria Heist. ex Fabr. Enum. 208. 1759.
Lacryma Medik. Philos. Bot. 1: 177. 1789. Lithagrostis Gaertn. Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 7. 1788; Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India
Pakistan. i-xviii, 1-767. Sphaerium Kuntze. Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 793. 1891; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:
162-163. 2003.
From the Greek koix “a kind of palm”, name applied to this genus by Linneaus. About 5 species, Europe, tropical Asia. Plants annual or perennial, herbaceous,
leafy, coarse, thick, stout, often rhizomatous, erect, branched. Culm internodes solid. Auricle absent. Ligule membraneous. Blades flat and lanceolate. Plants monoecious
with all the fertile spikelets unisexual. Inflorescence axillary and compound. Racemes separated by a prophyll, inflorescence in hard globular utricles; male and female
spikelets on the same inflorescence and usually the male above; female inflorescence sessile; fertile female spikelets with 2 florets; all the fertile spikelets unisexual, without
hermaphrodite florets; male raceme pedunculated; male spikelets with 2 florets both fertile; hard utricles are modified leaf base enclosing the female inflorescence. Lower
glume papery and laterally winged. Palea present. Lodicule absent. Ovary glabrous. Stamens absent or 3 staminodes. Stigma 2.
Ornamental, weed, cultivated fodder crop, grain crop species, forest margins, swamps.
21.1. Coix lachryma-jobi L. Sp. Pl. 2: 972. 1753.
