Oplismenus is a small genus of annual or perennial grasses, commonly known as basketgrass, found throughout the tropics, subtropics, and in some cases, temperate regions of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The systematics of the genus are unclear, with over 100 described species, only 7 species are officially recognized as of 2016.
Accepted species
The following list includes all currently recognized species of the genus Oplismenus accepted by the Catalogue of Life and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as of March 2016, sorted alphabetically. For each, binomial name is followed by author citation.
The members of this genus are scrambling or trailing herbaceous grasses, both annual and perennial. The stems trail along the ground and can root at the nodes. The leaf blades are generally lance-shaped or acuminate to ovate and are covered in scattered hairs, and the leaf sheaths are hairy.
O. hirtellus growing as a groundcover, Sydney, Australia
Ecology
These plants generally grow in shaded habitats such as the forest floor. Annual-type species will usually die off in cooler or drier months while the perennial species typically have much more tolerance. Some species have considerable invasive potential. Unlike some of their relatives, members of this genus use C3 photosynthesis.
Taxonomy
The French naturalist Palisot de Beauvois described the genus in August or September 1810 in his Flore d'Oware et de Benin. At a later date, however, it was noted that Robert Brown had also defined the genus earlier the same year, as Orthopogon, in his work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Nevertheless, because the name Oplismenus had been universally used for many years, it was ruled a nomen conservandum (conserved name) in...
