Description:
Themeda triandra - (Imsinde, Red Grass) 30—90 cm high. Leaves flat, often greyish when young, turning reddish
or purplish with age. Inflorescence nodding, triangular in outline; spathes tapering to long point; spikelets ending in long
twisted awns, multicoloured when mature. Flowers from Oct - July
Habitat:
Red grass is abundant in undisturbed open grassland and bushveld in parts with an average to high rainfall.
It grows mostly in clay soils.
Distribution:
This grass is widespread in South Africa, growing in undisturbed grasslands to savanna, in areas of average to high rainfall.
Although the grass grows in any type of soil, it prefers clay and soils with high organic content.
Uses:
Red grass is the most important grazing grass in open grassland regions of Southern and East Africa.
This is a very important and well-known grazing grass that is palatable especially when young. In some parts of Africa it is used
for thatching but the forms found in southern Africa tend to be flimsy and not durable enough. In
Lesotho and bordering areas it is used sometimes for thatching and some basketry. Paper pulp can also be
made from the culms (stems). In Australia it has been used as an ornamental and landscape plant.
Image Credits:
Swaziland's Flora Database
K Braun
