Res. Sci. Miss. Stef.-Paoli, Coll. Bot. 1: 183 (1916).- Type: Peters s.n., Mozambique (isosyn- K).
Panicum argyrotrichum Anderss. in Peters, Nat. Reise Mossamb. 2: 548 (1864).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 453 (1972); Ghana grasses: 134 (1977); Gram. Togo: 194 (1983).
Description:
* Annual well branched straggling decumbent weedy, rooting from the lower nodes with weak geniculate culms up to 0.6 m, nodes dark. Leaves lineair to linear lanceolate, 2-9 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, flat, glabrous with scabrid, sometimes wavy margins, base narrowed, barely rounded; ligule distinct small glabrous membrane; sheath glabrous, slightly compressed.
* Inflorescence digitate with 2-5 long slender racemes. Racemes unilateral, 6-16 cm long. Rachis flat, broadly winged, with rounded midrib and bearing spikelets on one side. Spikelets in threes on unequal pedicels.
* Spikelets elliptic, dorsally compressed, 1.5-2.4 mm long with white hairs extending 0.5 mm beyond apex, falling entire. Lower glume 0.1-0.3 mm long, hyaline, truncate; upper glume elliptic acute, as long as spikelet, membranous, 5 -veined, woolly, hairy between veins, with verruculose hairs. Lower lemma elliptic acute, as long as spikelet, membranous, 5 -veined, woolly, hairy between veins with verruculose hairs; upper lemma elliptic, acute, 1.5-2.4 mm long, cartilaginous, thinner on flat margins, light brown, covering most of palea.
Distribution West Africa: Ghana, Togo.
Distribution world-wide: E and southern Africa.