Derivation
Themeda Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 178 (1775); from the Arabic thaemed (little water), possibly referring to water storage cells on the upper surface of the leaves or to the habitat of the type specimen in Yemen, fide L.K.A.Chippindall & A.O.Crook, Grasses of Southern Africa (1976).

intermedia- Latin for intermediate. Having affinities with but distinct from other species.

Published in
Indian For. Rec. (Bot.) 1(3): 96 (1938).

Habit
Perennial. Culms erect, robust, 300–500 cm tall, 10–15 mm diam. Mid-culm internodes solid, glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose, mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode, striately nerved, smooth, glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades flat, 40–100 cm long, 4–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescences arranged within a synflorescence. Inflorescence terminal and axillary, subtended by a spatheole, enclosed. Spatheole lanceolate, 1.5–3.5 cm long, scarious, without tubercles, glabrous. Rames single, oblong, 1.5–2 cm long, bearing a few fertile spikelets, bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.

Spikelets
Spikelets in pairs, one sessile and fertile and the other (companion) spikelet pedicelled. Pedicels oblong, 0.5 mm long. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed, 4 in number, paired, forming an involucre about the fertile, with normal internodes (between them), subsessile, persistent. Basal sterile spikelets male, lanceolate or oblong, 10–12 mm long, larger than fertile. Basal sterile spikelet glumes tuberculate, hirsute, with tawny hairs, acuminate. Basal sterile spikelet lower glume muticous. Companion spikelets developed, male or sterile, lanceolate or oblong, 10–15 mm long, longer than fertile, deciduous with the fertile. Companion spikelet callus oblong, 1.5–2 mm long. Companion spikelet glumes tuberculate, pilose. Companion spikelet lemmas 2, enclosed by glumes, muticous. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret sterile, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, elliptic, slightly dorsally compressed, 7–10 mm long, falling entire, deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus oblong, 0.5–2 mm long, bearded, base obtuse, attached obliquely. Spikelet callus hairs tawny.

Glumes
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, equalling spikelet, coriaceous, dark brown. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume surface scabrous, pubescent or hispid, with tubercle-based hairs. Lower glume hairs tawny. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, coriaceous, 3-nerved.

Florets
Basal sterile floret 1, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, hyaline. Fertile lemma lanceolate, hyaline, 1-nerved. Lemma apex entire, acute, muticous or awned. Median (principal) awn 5–8 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute. Anthers 3, 8 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland: Cook, North Kennedy.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Andropogoneae

Notes
Native. Extending to New Guinea, Malesia and Burma. Flowers Apr.