Revis. Gramin. 1: 293, t. 58 (1830).- Type: Doellinger 21, 40, Herb. Gay, Senegal (syn- P, K).
Eustachys gayana (Kunth) Mundy, Rhodesia Agric. J. 19: 142 (1922);
Chloris abyssinica Hochst. ex . Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 406 (1850).- Type: Schimper 79, Ethiopia (syn- K,L,P,W,WAG); Schimper 1800, Ethiopia (syn- K,P; isosyn- BR); Quartin Dillon s.n., Ethiopia (syn- P).
Regional litterature: FWTA 400, fig 433 (1972); FTEA: 346 (1974); Gram. Togo: 174(1983); Fl. Mauritania: 446 (1991); Gram. Cameroun: 173; (1992); Poicelot, Poac. CI: 168, fig. (1995); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 169, fig (1995); Pl. Mauritanie: 288 (1998); Poac. Niger: 265, fig. (1999); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,1: 213 (1999); Fl. Bénin: 192, fig. (2006); Pl. Vasc. Guiné-Bissau: 164 (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 134 (2008); Fl. Guinée: 453 (2009); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 122 (2015);
Description:
* Robust stoloniferous perennial of 0.5-2 m tall. Culms thick and woody with brown nodes, rooting on the nodes. Leaves glaucous, flat, 25-40 cm long and 5-10 mm broad, tapering towards the tip; ligule short, membranous, ciliolate.
* Inflorescence of 10-30 digitate or verticellate greenish-brown racemes of 7-12 cm long excerted from the upper sheath. Rhachis villous at the base and scabrous pubescent towards the tip
* Spikelets with 3-4 florets, shortly 2-awned, 2-4 mm long, callus rounded. Lower glume 2 mm, upper glume 3-5 mm long, including the awn-point. Lemmas with hairs of 1- 2 mm long on the median nerve towards the tip; lowest lemma lanceolate lanceolate, 2.5-4 mm long, with an awn of 2-10 mm long; 2nd usually male, 1.5-3 mm long, with an awn 1.5-5.5 mm long, subacute, sometimes cuneate; the upper lemma(s) reduced to a small, clavate, awnless scale.
Distribution West Africa: Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and NE, E and southern Africa, Arabic peninsular; introduced in N Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas.