Bot. Jahrb. 54: 284 (1917).- Type: Sierra Leone
Andropogon leptocomus Trin., Mém. Acad. Sci. Petersb., Sér. 6,2: 264 (1832);
Anadelphia longifolia Stapf, FTA 9: 393 (1919).- Type: Pobéguin 1789 bis, Guinea (type P, iso K);
Anadelphia pubiglumis Stapf , FTA 9: 394 (1919).- Type: MacGregor 57, Nigeria (holo- K);
Anadelphia tenuifolia Stapf, FTA 9: 392 (1919).- Type: Blyth sn, Sierra Leone (holo- K); Pobéguin 1788, Guinea (syn- P, isosyn K);
Anadelphia triseta Reznik, Rev. Bot. Appl. Agric. Trop. 14:198 (1938).- Type: Jacques-Félix 253, Guinea (holo- P, iso- K, BR);
Anadelphia virgata Hack., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 6: 241 (1885).- Type: Naumann 28, Liberia (holo- K).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 501 (1972); RI: 89 (1977) ; Poac. CI: 630, fig. (1985); Fl. Senegal 10: 50, fig 23 (1991, unpubl.); Poac. Niger : 6, fig. (1999); Fl. Guinée: 447 (2009); Pl. Burkina Faso: 67 (2012).
Description: Reddish glabrous perennial of 0.9-1.5 m high, sometimes in small pure red-colored populations. Culms compressed, more or less ovate. Leaves 15-50 cm long and 2-6 mm broad, glabrous, rarely narrowly involute, base passing straight into sheath; ligule short ciliolate membrane of 0.5 mm long; sheath glabrous, basal ones strongly compressed. Roots stout.
* Inflorescence a lax, highly branched, compound spathate panicle of 30-60 cm long, composed of terminal and axillary racemes. Spatheoles linear, 1.5-2 cm long. Racemes solitary, 0.8-1.2 cm long each bearing 3-5 fertile spikelets, exserted from the spatheoles; rhachis fragile, ciliate on margins; internodes filiform, 2-6 mm long. Pedicels filiform, ciliate.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate, 4-5 mm long; callus obtuse, pilose with brown hairs, 0.5-1 mm long. Lower glume oblong, chartaceous, keeled near apex; apex bi-dentate; upper glume oblong, bifid with an awn 2-5 mm long. Upper lemma linear, 4-6 mm long, hyaline, incised 0.3-0.5 with geniculate awn of 8-16 mm long from the sinus with twisted, glabrous column. Pedicelled spikelets reduced to a barren pedicels, or well-developed and linear to lanceolate, acuminate; callus obtuse; glumes chartaceous, glabrous, acuminate.