Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun 8: 325 (1895).- Type: Thollon 55, Congo (holo- P, iso- K).
Andropogon prolixus Stapf, Mém. Soc. Bot. Fr. 8: 102 (1908).- Type: Chevalier 5365, CAR (holo- K, iso- P);
Andropogon linearis Stapf, FTA 9: 239 (1919).- Type: Pobéguin 1787, Guinea (syn- K), Chevalier 18666, Guinea (syn- K);
Andropogon incanellus W.D.Clayton, Kew Bull. 17: 466 (1964).- Type: Addei SLUS 741, Ghana (holo- K);
Anatherum africanum (Franch.) Roberty, Boissiera 9: 207 (1960).
Regional litterature: FTA: 239 (1919); Fl. Agrost. Congo Belge 1: 127 (1929); Fl. Gabon 5: 166 (1962); Fl. Nigeria: 84 (1970); FWTA: 485 (1972); Ghana grasses: 92 (1977); FTEA: 775 (1982); Gram. Togo: 142, fig (1983); Fl. Senegal 10: 54, fig 26 (1991, unpubl.); Gram. Cameroun: 432, fig. 95 (1992); Poac. CI: 556, fig. (1995); Pl. Mauritanie: 308 (1998); Fl. Zambeziaca 10,4 : 63 (2002) ; Fl. Bénin: 179 (2006); Fl. Guinée: 448 (2009); Pl. Burkina Faso: 67 (2012) ; Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Perennial bunchgrass, 0.5 -2.5 m high, often with a dense and reddish base. Culms branched, the lower part flattened. Leaves often reddish purple, linear, 10-40 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, with a abruptly acute canoe-shaped point, usually folded, overlapping and glabrous, base hairy; ligule a short and membrane fringe with short white hairs; sheath glabrous to very hairy, basal ones keeled and strongly compressed.
* Inflorescence a delicate, lax spathate panicule, composed of purplish terminal and axillary usually paired or rarely in threes, racemes. Spatheole linear, 7-10 cm long. Racemes 3-4.5 cm long, rhachis fragile at the nodes; internodes and pedicels filiform, 3-4.5 mm, densely ciliate on margins with hairs 1-2 mm long, longer towards the tip.
* Sessile spikelets linear, 4-6 mm long; callus obtuse and pilose. Lower glume linear, membranous, concave, yellow, green-keeled laterally ; upper glume linear, muticous. Lower lemma lanceolate, 5 mm long, hyaline; upper lemma oblong, hyaline, apex incised for 1/3-½ of its length with geniculate awn of 15-25 mm long from the sinus, with black twisted glabrous column. Pedicelled spikelets lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 4-7 mm long; glumes chartaceous, glabrous, acute; glumes with scabrid nerves and upper glume a 1-6 mm long awn.