Wavy-leaf Basketgrass

Overview

Oplismenus burmanni is native to tropical and subtropical Old World. It is used as animal food and a medicine and has social uses: religion, superstitions, magic.

Vernacular Names

Bogyamono (Ghana), Odo olili (NIgeria).

Agroecology

Grows in shady places 100–1,600 m, in submontane forest, open, grassy place.

Morphology

• Stem - culms 10–60 cm long, creeping and rooting at the nodes; nodes sparsely hairy.
• Leaves - 1-5 x 0.6-1.2 cm, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, base oblique, margins undulate, apex acuminate, glabrescent; sheaths to 4 cm long, softly hairy; ligule a row of hairs.
• Flower - inflorescence to 10 cm long; racemes 2-7, each 1-2.5 cm long; rachis triquetrous, densely villous. Spikelets 2-3 mm long, elliptic; pedicels bristly. Lower glume 1.5-2 x 1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, softly hairy, awned; awn 6-8 mm long, pale yellow, scabrid. Upper glume 1.5-2 x 1 mm, pale yellow. Lower floret barren. Upper floret bisexual. First lemma 2-3 x 1-1.5 mm, elliptic, aristate. Palea absent. Second lemma 1.5-2 x 1 mm , ovate-elliptic, subcoriaceous. Palea 1.5-2x1 mm, elliptic, subcoriaceous, 2-keeled. Stamens 3, pale yellow. Stigma 1 mm long, cream coloured.

Cultivation

Generatively propagated by seed.

Chemical Constituents

Clionasterol glucoside (clionasterol-[(1'3α)-O-β-D]-glucopyranoside), a new acylated clionasterol glucoside (clionasterol-[6'-O-acyl-(1'3β)-O-b-D]-glucopyranoside), and clionasterol.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Leaf medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.); cutaneous, subcutaneous parasitic infection; eye treatments; genital stimulants/depressants; pain-killers.