Themeda caudata

HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Culms erect; robust; 300–600 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 100–150 cm long; 8–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; 3.25–5 cm long; scarious; without tubercles; glabrous.

Racemes 1; single; cuneate; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 0.5 mm long; tip oblique.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; with normal internodes; subsessile; male; lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; equalling fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth; pilose (on keel); lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 15–16 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear; 2.5–3 mm long; acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; subterete; 9–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus linear; 2 mm long; bearded; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs dark brown.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 11 -veined. Upper glume oblong; coriaceous; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Assam 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.