FTA 9: 181 (1917).- Type: Schimper 2011, Ethiopia (holo- P).
Andropogon condylotrichus Steud., Syst. Pl. Glum. 1377 (1854);
Andropogon piptatherus var. erectus Hack., Monogr. Phan. 6: 580 (1889).- Type: Schweinfurth 1025, Sudan (isosyn- K); Roziani, Sudan (isosyn- K); Barter s.n., Nigeria (isosyn- K);
Euclasta glumacea Franch., Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun 8: 336(1895).
Regional litterature: FI. Gabon 5:152, fig. 25 (1962); FI. Nigeria: 92 (1970); FWTA: 471 (1972); Ghana grasses: 154, fig. 40 (1977); FTEA: 722 (1982); Gram. Togo: 2022 (1983); Gram. Cameroun: 415, fig. 92 (1992); Poac. CI: 496, fig. (1995); Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 1307, fig (1995); Poac. Niger : 534, fig. (1999); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,4: 50, fig (2002); Fl. Bénin: 208 (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 137 (2008); Fl. Guinée: 461 (2009); Pl. Burkina Faso: 89 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 131 (2015)
Description:
* Lax weak straggling annual of 0.5-1.5 m tall. Culm branching and rooting from the lower nodes, scrambling over neighbouring grasses and shrubs; nodes conspicuously and densely bearded with white hairs. Leaves long linear, 5-25 cm long and 2-10 mm wide, flat, glabrous and scabrous, margins rolling outwards when drying; base rounded, sparsely hairy; ligule a small white-toothed ciliate membrane of 0.3 mm long; sheath glabrous with sparsely hairy shoulders.
* Inflorescence composed of 2-15 subdigitate racemes along a common axis of 1-2 cm. Racemes drooping, 2-5 cm long; rhachis fragile, flattened; bases filiform, unequal, stiffly setose. Pedicels and internodes linear, flattened, with a translucent median line, ciliate. Homogamous spikelets 1-3 pairs at the base of both racemes.
* Sessile spikelets elliptic, 3-4 mm long; callus pilose, obtuse. Lower glume elliptic, chartaceous, keeled towards the tip, pilose; upper glume lanceolate, chartaceous. Lower lemma oblong, 1.5 mm long; upper lemma linear, entire with geniculate awn of 2-4 cm long with twisted glabrous column. Pedicelled spikelets oblong, 4-5.5 mm long; glumes herbaceous, acute, hairy. Homogamous spikelets 4-9 mm long; glumes pilose.
Distribution West Africa: Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Gabon, Congo, DRC, Ethiopia, Tanzania and southern Africa, Latin America.