Gen info
- Themeda triandra is a species of C4 perennial tussock-forming grass widespread in Africa, Australia, Asia, and the Pacific.
- It was first described in 1775 by Peter Forsskal in Flora Aegyptiaco-Arabica.
- Etymology: The specific epithet triandra derives from Latin triandrus, meaning "with three stamens, based on Greek-derived combining forms tri-, three and -andrus, male. (2) The meaning of the genus name Themeda is obscure, but it is Arabic and might have to do with water or the lack thereof. The species name triandra derives from Greek words tri (three) and andr (man), referring to the three male spikelets surrounding the bisexual spikelet in each cluster. (4)
- Red oat grass is the most common grass in the natural grasslands of Africa. In East Africa it represents 16% of the grasslands.
- Ecology: Themeda triandra is an indicator of the veld (open, uncultivated grassland in southern Africa) being in good condition. It is known to be resistant to fire, the resistance increasing when burn regularly, rested in between fires, and not over-grazed. (4)

Botany
Themeda triandra is a tufted leafy perennial, growing up to 1.5 m tall, erect, culms usually unbranched but quite variable in morphology, smooth, often becoming golden at maturity, nodes hairless. Leaves both basal and on the culms; leaf-sheath keeled, coarsely striate, hairless below but becoming quite short-hairy towards the ligule, the margins translucent; ligule short and membranous, later splitting into a broad rim of short hairs with some longer, marginal hairs; leaf-blade 15-50 cm × 2-5 mm, green or sometimes bluish, folded with a more or less hairy clasping base, becoming more or less flat towards the acutely pointed tip, flexuous, smooth or slightly rough down the margins. Inflorescence a loose, narrow spathate usually reddish-coloured panicle, the flexuous peduncled racemes slightly nodding; panicle branches slender and smooth, often quite widely separated along the axis and bearing clusters of one to several racemes (spikelet clusters), each at first enclosed by, and later subtended by a strongly keeled, sheath-like spathe; spikelet clusters are composed of a sessile, fertile awned spikelet surrounded by an involucre of 2 pairs of sessile and 1 pair of pedicellate male or sterile (often reduced) spikelets; florets 2 in the fertile spikelet, the lower sterile and reduced to a lemma, the upper bisexual, 1 in the involucral and pedicellate spikelets which are male, sterile or reduced to a lemma; fertile spikelet sessile and awned, about 8 mm long including the dark brown, sharply pointed, densely and stiffly hairy barbed callus; awn up to 7 cm long, puberulous, twisted and geniculate, hygroscopically active so that the seed can bore itself into the ground. Caryopsis lanceolate, channelled on one side. The fruits ("seeds") of red oat grass fall individually to the ground. Fruits ("seeds") of red oat grass fall individually to the ground. (7)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Algeria, Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Ghana, Guinea, Hainan, Himalaya, India, Inner Mongolia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, Korea, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, New South Wales, Nicobar Is., Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Pakistan, Queensland, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, South Australia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Victoria, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe. (1)
- A perennial growing primarily in the seasonally dry biome.
- Due to color and texture, it is an ornamental and landscape species in Australia

Constituents
- Yields only moderate nutritive value—crude protein 2.8-12.4%. Digestibility varies from 35%-60%.

Parts used
Roots.

Uses
Edibility
- Grain eaten by people during times of famine.
- Indigenous Australians have used the grass for making flour. Grinding stones found in archaeological sites have suggested grinding of seeds and grains more than 30,000 years ago. Grass grains can be ground into flour and porridge. Seeds are said to taste like fresh green peas. The pleasant taste is lost when the grass matures, so, best to harvest seeds just as they are ripening. (5)
Folkloric
- In West Africa, root decoction used for treatment of dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation).
Others
- Fodder: An excellent fodder grass. Young growth is palatable to livestock.  Also a food source of several avian species. (Considered a healthy forage for horses because of lower carbohydrate content, alleviating obesity and foot inflammation. (5) Of the five species of Themada in the Philippines, T. triandra is the most dominant and economically important forage species in native grasslands. (6)
- Thatch: In Uganda, hollow stems of the grass used as thatch in hut construction.  
- Fiber: Provides fiber for paper, basketry, and thatching. (2)
- Agronomy: It can survive on land depleted on farming; drought-resistant; tolerates extreme changes in temperature; helps restore already degraded grasslands; protects the soil and creates habitat for small animals, such as insects and invertebrates. (2)
- Ethnoveterinary: Used for the treatment of malaria.

Studies
• No studies found.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Seeds in the cybermarket.
Ornamental cultivation.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Themeda triandra / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Themeda triandra / Wikipedia
(3)
Red oat grass / Feedipedia
(4)
Themeda triandra / Lyn Fish, National Herbarium, Pretoria: 2004 / SANBI: PlantZAfrica
(5)
Kangaroo Wheat Grass / Rachel Fieldhouse: 2018 / Planting Seeds
(6)
Studies of the genus Themada / Percy E Sajise, Norma M Orlido, Lorenzo C Castillo, Joveno S Lales / Kalikasan: Philippine J Biol., 1974; 3: pp 71-82
(7)
Themeda triandra (PROSEA) /  J C Tothill / Pl@ntUse

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)