Kew Bull., 17: 465 (1964).- Type: Rose Innes 30861, Ghana ( holo- K)
Regional litterature: FWTA: 485 (1972); Ghana grasses: 93 (1977); Poac. CI: 554, fig. (1995); Fl. Bénin: 179 (2006) ; Fl. Guinée: 449 (2009)
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial 0.3-1.2 m high; tufts fine; culms erect. Leaves filiform to narrowly linear, stiff, curved, rolled or tightly folded, 30-60 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, glabrous, but hairy towards the base; ligule a ciliolate membrane of 0.5 -1 mm long, hairs short; sheath with hairy mouth, otherwise glabrous.
* Inflorescence compound, scanty, 10-30 cm long, composed of terminal and axillary paired racemes, subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear, 5-7 cm long. Racemes flexuous, 3-7 cm long; rhachis fragile, ciliate on margins with hairs 2-4 mm long; internodes filiform, 4-5.5mm long; tip transverse, cupuliform. Pedicels filiform, ciliate.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate, acuminate, 4.5-7 mm long; callus square, obtuse, 0.5 mm long, pilose. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled laterally and a broad median groove, surface concave, apex dentate; upper glume lanceolate, membranous, acute and mucronate or with an awn up to 7 mm. Lower lemma lanceolate, 5 mm long, hyaline; upper lemma oblong, 3-4 mm long, hyaline, incised 1/3-1/2 of lemma length with fine geniculate awn from the sinus, 15-22 mm long overall with twisted glabrous column of 6-8 mm long; anthers yellow, 1.7 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets linear-lanceolate, 4-6 mm long; glumes chartaceous, acute, with 2-4 mm long awn.