in Engl. & Prantl., Pflanzenfam., Ed. 2, 14e: 56 (1940).- Type: Drège s.n., South Africa (iso- K)
Panicum meyeranum Nees, Fl. Afr. Austr. 32 (1841)
Panicum mite Steud., Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 68 (1853).- Type: Kotschy 442, Sudan (iso- K)
Regional litterature: FTA 9: 650 (1920); Fl. Agrost. Congo Belge 2: 163 (1934); FWTA: 437 (1972); Ghana grasses: 154 (1977); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 216, fig (1995); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 131 (2015)
Description:
* Sprawling glaucous loosely tufted leafy perennial, shortly stoloniferous or decumbent, with sparsely branched culms rooting at the lower nodes rising geniculate 0.9-1.2 m high. Leaves linear to linear lanceolate, 5-15 cm long, glabrous with smooth margins; base rounded, lobed partially clasping the culm; ligule a fringe of stiff short white hairs; sheath glabrous, finely nerved.
* Inflorescence consists of 10-30 racemes along an axis of 8-18 cm long. Racemes simple or often compound unilateral, 2-7 cm long; rachis angular. Spikelets crowded on pedicels. Pedicels 1-2 mm long with few long hair
* Spikelets elliptic, acute, awnless, purplish, 2.5-3.5 mm long; lowest rhachilla internode bead-like with adnate lower glume. Lower glume reduced, 0.5(-2) mm long, hyaline, 3-lobed; upper glume ovate acute, glabrous, or pubescent. Lower lemma similar to upper glume, ovate, 0.9 length of spikelet; upper lemma elliptic, 1.5-2.2 mm long, indurate, granulose; palea involute, indurate.
Distribution West Africa: Ghana, Chad, CAR, Sudan, South Sudan
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, Uganda, DRC and Somalia, C, E and southern Africa into Yemen.