Kew Bull. 45: 582 (1990).- Type: Petit-Thouars 62, Mt du Pouce, Mauritius (holo- B; iso L,LE,P).
Vilfa rigidifolia Trin., Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 5(2): 80 (1840) ;
Vilfa mauritiana Steud., Syn. Pl. Glum. 1: 157 (1854).- Type : Urville s.n., Mauritius (holo- P) ;
Sporobolus mauritianus (Steud.) Dur.& Schinz, Consp. Fl. Afr. 5: 822 (1894);
Sporobolus ledermannii Mez, F.R. 17: 296 (1921).- Type: Ledermann 2822, Cameroon, Sambolabo-Dodo, Tchape Pass (holo- B, iso- K);
Sporobolus hubbardii A. Chevalier, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, sér. 2,20: 469 (1948).- Type: Chevalier 20855, Diededou to Niossomoridou, Guinea (holo- P, iso- K).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 407 (1972); Gram. Cameroun: 148 (1992); Fl Zambesiaca 10,2: 179 (1999); Fl. Guinée: 479 (2009).
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial bunchgrass of 0.3-0.6 m high, the old basal sheaths expanded, firmly paperly, yellowish, rarely becoming fibrous. Culms slender, erect. Leaves variable from narrowly linear to short linear lanceolate, usually rolled inwards, 15-30 cm long and 3-5 cm broad, glabrous, with scabrid margins, the base passing straight into the sheath or slightly rounded; ligule minutely hairy; sheath glabrous.
* Inflorescence a contracted pyramidal panicle of 4-15 cm long with about 4 whorls of fine, ascending, sometimes open, spreading branches. The lower half of the branches without spikelets. Spikelets borne directly on the branches or on few-spiculate branchlets.
* Spikelets lanceolate, 1.9-2.5 mm long, dark grey-green, glabrous. Lower glume ovate, 1.1 mm long, acute to obtuse; upper glume lanceolate, acute, as long as spikelet. Lemma as upper glume, slightly shorter, acute; keels of palea narrowly winged. Anthers 3, 1.8-2.5 mm long. Caryopsis ellipsoid, 1.8-2 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon.
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, DRC, E and southern Africa.