Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun 8: 365 (1896).- Type: Brazza 226, Gabon (holo- P, iso- K).
Aristida elliotii A. Chev., Rev. Bot. Appliq. 14: 46 (1934).- Type Chevalier 324, Sudan holo- K).
Regional litterature: FTEA : 145 (1970); FWTA: 378 (1972); Ghana grasses: 101 (1977); Gram. Cameroun: 97 (1992); Poac. CI: 96, fig. (1995); Fl. Bénin: 184 (2006); Fl. Guinée: 451 (2009); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 119 (2015).
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial bunchgrass of 0.1-0.5 m high. Culms numerous slender purplish and branched at the base. Leaves erect, rather stiffly, usually tightly rolled, filiform and glabrous, 5-20 cm long; ligule ciliate; sheath glabrous, at the base breaking up into fibres and forming a dense tuft at the base of the culms.
* Inflorescence an open, ovate to lanceolate brown panicle of 3-8 cm long with diffuse spikelets on capillary branches.
* Spikelets dark purplish, linear-lanceolate, 5-5.5 mm long and 0.7-1.0 mm wide; callus obtuse, 0.2 mm long, shortly barbed with white hairs. Lower glume 2.5-4 mm long, subulate; upper glume 5-5.5 mm long, acuminate and subulate. Lemma tubular, 3.5-5 mm long and 0.4 mm wide, not articulated at the tip, with the purplish awn; awn scabrid, 6-8 mm long with fine short hair-like persistent branches.