Austrobaileya 5(3): 525 (1999).- Type: Guinée (holo- LE).
Andropogon fulvibarbis Trin., Mém. Acad. Sci. St. Petersb., sér. 6.2: 287 (1832);
Vetiveria fulvibarbis (Trin.) Stapf, FTA 9: 158 (1917).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 470 (1972); RI 254, fig. 98 (1977); Gram. Togo: 339, fig. (1983); Gram. Cameroun: 410, fig. 90 (1992) ; Poac. CI: 490, fig. (1995); Poac. Niger : 525, fig. (1999); Fl. Bénin: 250 (2006).
Description:
* Coarse, shortly rhizomatous, densely tufted erect perennial bunchgrass up to 2 m but most of the time shorter. Culms compressed in the lower part. Leaves erect or ascending at a narrow angle to the culm, linear, up to 1 m long and 6-8 mm broad, folded at first but later expanded, glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrid margins; ligule a narrow vestigial white membrane; sheath glabrous, compressed and keeled, basal ones strongly compressed, sharply keeled and compactly interleaved, pale to white and shining. Roots coarse.
* Inflorescence an open panicle of 15-20 cm long with racemes in verticelles. Basal racemes 2-8 cm long on a peduncle of up to 3.5 cm; internodes linear, 6-7 mm long. Spikelets in pairs, both similar.
* Spikelets oblong. Sessile spikelets linear, 6-8 mm long, spinulose, glaucous to purplish; callus barbed with red brown hairs, 1.5 mm long. Lower glume rounded, acute; upper glume with a mucro of 3-5 mm. Upper lemma linear, hyaline, bi-dentated with a geniculate pubescent awn of 10-20 mm. Pedicelled spikelets 5-6 mm long, purplish; lower glume with an awn of 3 mm.
Distribution West Africa and world-wide: Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon.