Themeda intermedia

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; robust; 300–500 cm long; 10–15 mm diam. Culm-internodes solid; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades 50–100 cm long; 7–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence compound; paniculate. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate; 2–3.5 cm long; scarious; without tubercles; glabrous.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; 1.5–2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2–3 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 0.5 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; with normal internodes (between them); subsessile; persistent; male; lanceolate, or oblong; 10–12 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes tuberculate; hirsute; with tawny hairs; acuminate; lower glume muticous.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate, or oblong; 10–12 mm long; longer than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet callus oblong; 1.5–2 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet glumes tuberculate; pilose. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes; muticous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 7–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong; 2 mm long; bearded; base obtuse; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels. Lower glume surface flat; pubescent. Lower glume hairs tawny. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; coriaceous; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; muticous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl Assam 1994.

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