FTA 9:441 (1919).- Type: Dalziel 907, Abinsi, Nigeria (lecto- K), Chevalier 2218, 2284, Mali (syn- K) .
Digitaria acuminatissima Stapf var. conformis Henr., Mon. Dig.: 7 (1950).- Type : Leclercq 42594, Mali, region Nord (iso- K) ;
Digitaria acuminatissima Stapf var. grandiflora Henrard, Type : Chevalier 8935, Chad, Pays des Kabas Solos (holo- P).
Regional litterature: Fl. Agr. Congo Belge 2:254 (1934) ; Fl. Nigeria: 59 (1970); FWTA: 452 (1972) ; FTEA: 650 (1982); Fl. Mauritania: 449 (1991); Gram. Cameroun: 323 (1992); Poac. CI: 422, fig. (1995); Pl. Mauritanie: 300 (1998); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 125 (2015)
Description:
* Annual, loosely tufted erect, branching near the base to about 1 m. Culms straw-like with prop roots from the nodes. Leaves 3-25 cm long and 3-10 mm wide, narrowly lineair, flat glabrous to sparsely hairy, distinct white midrib for ½ its length, slightly scabrid on both sides, scabrid margins; base hairy passing straight into sheath; ligule a pale papery membrane; sheath glabrous to densely hairy.
* Inflorescence composed of 4-20 subdigitate racemes, axis 1-10 cm long; racemes stiff slender pale green, straight; unilateral, 7-25 cm long; rachis narrowly winged with sharp-edged midrib; spikelets in pairs on one side of a narrow rachis, 0.66 their length apart, pedicels 0-2 mm long scabrous.
* Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic, dorsally compressed, acuminate, 2.5-4 mm long, green. Lower glume ovate, 0.2-0.4 mm long, hyaline, obtuse; upper glume lanceolate, acute, 2 mm long, membranous, without keels, 3 -veined, surface sometimes pubescent with tuberclebased hairs between the outermost nerves. Lower lemma elliptic, as long as spikelet, membranous, 7 -veined, scaberulos, rough on veins, pubescent and sometimes setose, acuminate; upper lemma lanceolate, 2.3-3.5 mm long, cartilaginous, thinner on margins, pallid, or grey, margins flat, covering most of palea, acuminate; palea cartilaginous.
Distribution West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: C, southern Africa and Tanzania.