Bot. Jahrb.74: 14 (1947).- Type : Chevalier 24598, Burkina Faso, Koupéla (iso- P).
Lepturella aristata Stapf , Mém. Soc. Bot. Fr. 2,8: 222 (1907).
Regional litterature: ); FWTA: 405 (1972); Ghana grasses: 190, fig. 63 (1977); Gram. Togo: 261, fig. (983); Poicelot, Poac. CI: 188, fig. (1995); Poac. Niger: 289, fig. (1999); Pl. Vasc. Guiné-Bissau: 170 (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 139 (2008); Fl. Bénin: 222 (2006) ; Pl. Burkina Faso: 98 (2012).
Description:
* Tiny well-branched densely tufted, cushion-like annual bunchgrass of 5-15 cm high. Culms slender but stiff. Leaves short, needle-like rolled and finely pointed, passing straight into the sheath, 1-2 cm long and 0.5 mm broad; ligule a fine toothed ciliolate membrane; sheath tightly rolled and glabrous.
* Inflorescence a solitary short, terminal raceme. Raceme fragile, 1-2 cm long; rhachis cylindrical, fragile on the nodes; spikelets sunk in hollows on opposite sides of the rhachis. Spikelets shattering rapidly on maturing, sessile.
* Spikelets lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 3-3.5 mm long; one fertile floret and no imperfect florets; callus short, finely barbed. Lower glume absent, upper glume with a flat back, 3-3.5 mm long, long acuminate with a fine awn of 5 mm long. Lemma oblong, 3-3.5 mm long, hyaline, without keel, 3 -veined, apex dentate, awn from a sinus, 2-2.5 mm long overall; palea hyaline, 2 -veined. Caryopse 3 mm long.
Distribution West Africa and world-wide: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Benin.