Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Themeda Forssk.

Themeda villosa (Lam.) A.Camus

This species is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & Subtropical Asia.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms robust; 200-300 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 50-100 cm long; 6-12 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; paniculate; 30-60 cm long; dense. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Spatheole lanceolate; 2.5-3.5 cm long; scarious; green; without tubercles; glabrous. Racemes 1; single; oblong; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-4 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
Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; subsessile; lanceolate; 5-13 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth, or tuberculate; pubescent; smooth on margins, or ciliate on margins (rufously); lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 10-12 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear. Companion sterile spikelet glumes smooth; glabrous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 7-8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; bearded; base acute; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed; 4 in number; forming an involucre about the fertile; subsessile; lanceolate; 5-13 mm long; larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes smooth, or tuberculate; pubescent; smooth on margins, or ciliate on margins (rufously); lower glume muticous. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 10-12 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet callus linear. Companion sterile spikelet glumes smooth; glabrous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 7-8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus cuneate; bearded; base acute; attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs red.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume hairs red. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers 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; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 0-10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Palea absent or minute.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: north-central.
Reference
Andropogoneae. WDC.

Native to:

Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam, West Himalaya

Introduced into:

Hawaii, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania

Themeda villosa (Lam.) A.Camus appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 2014 Wardi et al. [BOHK 430], Indonesia K000734712 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [18648], Thailand K000620625 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [14643], Thailand K000620627 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [11392], Thailand K000620652 No
Rabil [78], Thailand K000620655 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [1439], Thailand K000620657 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [14643], Thailand K000620659 No
Larsen, K. [1429], Thailand K000688927 No
md Haniff [4053], Thailand K000688947 No
Lazarides, M. [7423], Thailand K000688951 No
van Beusekom, C. F. [3595], Thailand K000688952 No
van Beusekom, C. F. [3595], Thailand K000688953 No
van Beusekom, C.F. [4242], Thailand K000688954 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [14643], Thailand K000620628 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [2252], Thailand K000620648 No
Larsen, K. [8844], Thailand K000688943 No
Smitinand, T. [1288], Thailand K000688944 No
Laegaard, S. [21640], Thailand K000688950 No
Rabil [78], Thailand K000620656 No
Larsen, K. [2102], Thailand K000688945 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [2252], Thailand K000620646 No
Rabil [239], Thailand K000620653 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [11392], Thailand K000620650 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [2252], Thailand K000620647 No
Middleton, D.J. [2060], Thailand K000688948 No
Smitinand, T. [1288], Thailand K000688946 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [14643], Thailand K000620629 No
Middleton, D.J. [2060], Thailand K000688949 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [1439], Thailand K000620658 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [11392], Thailand K000620651 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [18648], Thailand K000620626 No
Larsen, K. [32882], Thailand K000688928 No
Rabil [239], Thailand K000620654 No
Kerr, A.F.G. [17490], Thailand K000620649 No

First published in H.Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 7: 364 (1922)

Accepted by

  • Ahmed, Z.U. (ed.) (2008). Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh 12: 1-505. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  • Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Clayton, W.D. & Snow, N. (2010). A key to Pacific Grasses: 1-107. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Dassanayake (ed.) (1994). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 8: 1-458. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003). Flora of North America North of Mexico 25: 1-781. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Gilliland, H.B. (1971). A revised flora of Malaya 3: 1-319. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
  • Kandwal, M.K. & Gupta, B.K. (2009). An update on grass flora of Uttarkhand Indian Journal of Forestry 32: 657-668.
  • Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989). Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae: 1-435. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
  • Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590.
  • Middleton, D.J. & al. (eds.) (2019). Flora of Singapore 7: 1-525. Singapore Botanic Gardens.
  • Noltie, H.J. (2000). Flora of Bhutan 3(2): 457-883. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
  • Pandey, R.P. & Dilwakar, P.G. (2008). An integrated check-list flora of Andaman and Nicobar islands, India Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32: 403-500.
  • Press, J.R. et al. (2000). Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal: i-x, 1-430. Natural History Museum, London.
  • Rao, B.R.P. & al. (2012). Themeda villosa (Poiret) A.Camus, Tripogon trifidus Munro ex Stapf (Poaceae): New distributional records for South India Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 36: 383-386.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1988). Flora du Rwanda 4: I-X, 1-651. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.
  • Turner, I.M. (1995 publ. 1997). A catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Malaya Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 47(2): 347-655.
  • Veldkamp, J.F. (2016). A revision of Themeda (Gramineae) in Malesia with a new species from Laos Blumea 61: 29-40.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Ahmed, Z.U. (ed.) (2008). Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh 12: 1-505. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  • Boulos, L. (2005). Flora of Egypt 4: 1-617. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Dassanayake (ed.) (1994). A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon 8: 1-458. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. PVT. LTD., New Delhi, Calcutta.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003). Flora of North America North of Mexico 25: 1-781. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Gilliland, H.B. (1971). A revised flora of Malaya 3: 1-319. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Singapore.
  • H?, P.-H. (2000). Câyc? Vi?tnam. An Illustrated flora of Vietnam, ed. 2, 3: 1-1020. Pham-hoang Ho, Montréal.
  • Kandwal, M.K. & Gupta, B.K. (2009). An update on grass flora of Uttarkhand Indian Journal of Forestry 32: 657-668.
  • Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989). Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae: 1-435. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
  • Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590.
  • Noltie, H.J. (2000). Flora of Bhutan 3(2): 457-883. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
  • Pandey, R.P. & Dilwakar, P.G. (2008). An integrated check-list flora of Andaman and Nicobar islands, India Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32: 403-500.
  • Rao, B.R.P. & al. (2012). Themeda villosa (Poiret) A.Camus, Tripogon trifidus Munro ex Stapf (Poaceae): New distributional records for South India Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 36: 383-386.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1988). Flora du Rwanda 4: I-X, 1-651. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.
  • Veldkamp, J.F. (2016). A revision of Themeda (Gramineae) in Malesia with a new species from Laos Blumea 61: 29-40.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0