Syn. Pl. Glum., 1: 114 (1854).- Type: Schimper 642, Ethiopia, Aderbati (holo- P, iso- K,B); Quartin Dillon s.n., Ethiopie (syn- P).
Acraterum pumilum A. Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss., 2: 414 (1851);
Arundinella effusa CE. Hubbard, Kew Bull. 12: 63 (1957).- Type: Keay & Russell FHI28524,Cameroun (holo- K!).
Regional litterature: FTA. 10: 3 (1937); FWTA: 414 (1972); Ghana grasses: 101, fig 9 (1977); Gram. Cameroun: 361, fig. 76 (1992); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 285, fig (1995); Fl. Guinée: 451 (2009)
Description:
* Delicate annual of 10-50 cm high. Culms erect or ascending, fine, weak; nodes pubescent. Leaves thin and narrowly lanceolate, 10-25 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide, flat, glabrous or sparsely pilose, finely nerved with a distinct midrib and scabrid margins; ligule a short translucent membrane; sheath glabrous. Roots scanty, fine.
* Inflorescence an open diffuse highly branched panicle of 15-30 cm long and 5-15 cm wide; the primary branches hair-like, 5-15 cm long; branchlets capillary, with terminal spikelets. Pedicels filiform, 1.5-8 mm long.
* Spikelets ovate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; floret callus pubescent, obtuse. Glumes ovate, acute or acuminate; lower glume 1-1.5 mm long; upper glume, 1.5-2.5 mm long, glabrous or pilose. Lower lemma similar to upper glume; upper lemma ovate, 1.2 mm long, coriaceous, dentate; geniculate awn of 4-5 mm long from sinus with a dark twisted column; palea with auriculate margins.
Distribution West Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, DRC and Burundi, and Asia.