Themeda villosa

Species category

Weed

Common name

silky kangaroo grass, Lyon's grass

Diagnostic characters

Planting unit

FloretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.

Shape

Lanceolate

Size

  • Length 8–9 mm
  • Width 1.5–2 mm
  • Thickness 1.5–2 mm

Color

Dark brown

Texture

Extremely pubescentPubescent:
Having hairs.
with callusCallus:
The hard base of grass florets or spikelets, just above the point of disarticulation.
having even longer hairs

Lemma

Hard with awnAwn:
A narrow, bristle-like organ, as on the glumes or lemmas of grasses (Poaceae).
mostly detached

Palea

Hard; approximately the same length as lemmaLemma:
One of two bracts of the grass floret; it is located on the side nearest the embryo and opposite the rachilla.
.

Other structures

Sharp callusCallus:
The hard base of grass florets or spikelets, just above the point of disarticulation.
; rachillaRachilla:
The axis of a spikelet.
has sterile floretsFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.
.

Identification notes

Some texts describe this unit as a spikeletSpikelet:
One or more florets that are subtended by a pair of bracts called glumes. Spikelets are pedicellate if located on a pedicle and sessile if attached directly to the rachis. Often spikelets with single florets have remnants of a second floret, usually a lemma.
, but it appears that the term floretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.
is a better description. Strangely, the sterile structures attached to the rachillaRachilla:
The axis of a spikelet.
are relatively glabrousGlabrous:
Lacking hairs or pubescence.
.

Noxious weed seed categories

State Noxious Weed: Hawaii

AOSA examination list

Not included

Nomenclature

Family

Poaceae

Valid name

Themeda villosa (Poir.) A. Camus

Synonyms

Themeda gigantea auct. non (Cav.) Hack.

 Themeda villosa.  Florets with a sharp callus and a rachilla with sterile florets.
Themeda villosa. Florets with a sharp callus and a rachilla with sterile florets.