Themeda saxicola

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths pilose; persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 20–35 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–6 cm long; 2.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence simple. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 1–2 cm long; without tubercles; glabrous. Peduncle 5 cm long.

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

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 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; subsessile; male; elliptic; 11–15 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth; glabrous; lower glume muticous; lemmas awnless.

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; elliptic; 10 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear; 2 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; smooth; glabrous; ciliate on margins; acute. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; subterete; 7.5–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; curved; 2 mm long; bearded; base pungent; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; light brown; without keels. Lower glume surface asperulous; pubescent. Lower glume hairs red. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 4 mm long; hyaline. Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 20 mm long; puberulous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3.5–4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor 1993.

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