FTA : 9 : 321 (1919).- Type: Barter s.n., Nigeria (iso- K, P)
Andropogon barteri Hackel, Flora 68 : 124 (1885);
Sorghum barteri (Hack.) Kuntze, Rev. gen. Pl. 2: 791 (1891);
Andropogon filipendulus Hochst. var. calvescens Hack.- Type: Schweinfurth 2421, CAR (isolecto- P);
Hyparrhenia barteri var. calvescens (Hack.) Stapf.
Regional litterature: FI. Nigeria: 95 (1970); FWTA : 492 (1972) ; FTEA : 800 (1982) ; Gram. Togo: 228, fig. (1983); Gram. Cameroun: 479, fig. 105 (1992) ; Pl. Burkina Faso: 90 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Annual in small tufts, 1-2 m high. Leaves 20-40 cm long and 2-4 mm broad, scaberulous; ligule 1 mm long.
* Inflorescence narrow dense spathate panicle of 30-40 cm long and up to 8 fastigiate tiers with paired racemes. Spatheoles linear, 3-4 cm long, atlength reddish brown, embracing the base of the racemes; peduncles up to half as long as spatheoles, with or without spreading hairs near the tip. Racemes lax and fragile, 8-10 mm, non deflexed, 2 awns per pair, greenish to pallid; upper raceme base 4-7 mm long, glabrous; one pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of each raceme.
* Sessile spikelets narrowly lanceolate, glabrous, 5.5-6.5 mm long including the pungent callus of 1.5-2 mm long. Lower glume glabrous, 9 nerves of which the inner ones raised and scaberulous. Awns 4-4.5 cm long with long reddish hairs of 3-5 mm on the column. Pedicelled spikelets 3.5-5 mm long, glabrous with an awn of 1 mm; pedicel tooth subulate, 0.1 mm long.Homogamous spikelets 3-5 mm long, similar to the pedicelled ones.
Distribution West Africa: Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Nigeria Cameroon, CAR, Chad.
Distribution world-wide: Congo, Tanzania, Maliawi and Zambia.