Themeda intermedia

Themeda intermedia (Hack.) Bor. Indian
For. Rec. (Bot.)
1(3):96(1938).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Themeda
gigantea
var. intermedia Hack. in DC., Monogr. Phan. 6:675
(1889).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: India, Khasia Hills:  Hooker & Thomson (K iso).

Key references
(books and floras):
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
.

Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, stature robust to moderate, 300–500 cm tall, 10–15 mm
diam. Mid-culm internodes solid, glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on
surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, 40–100 cm
long, 4–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, of pedicelled spikelet clusters. Rhachis fragile at the
nodes.

Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 2–3 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed, 4 in number. Companion
spikelets developed, male, 10–15 mm long. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the
lower floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal
sterile florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension,
elliptic, dorsally compressed, 7–10 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, coriaceous, without
keels. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume oblong, coriaceous, 3
-nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant
palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline.

Fertile lemma without
keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex entire, muticous or awned. Median (principal) awn
5–8 mm long overall. Palea absent. Anthers 3.

Continental
Distribution
: Tropical Asia, Australasia, and Pacific.

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland.

Queensland:
Cook, North Kennedy.

Notes. North
Kennedy and Torres St (Moa Island) to New Guinea, Malesia and Burma. Flowers
Apr.

 

AVH 2011

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith