FTA 9: 313 (1919).- Type: Buchanan 1423, Malawi (iso- K).
Andropogon nyassae Rendle in J. Bot. 21: 358 (1893);
Cymbopogon chrysargyreus Stapf, J. Bot. sér2,2: 213 (1909).- Type: Chevalier 5366, CAR (holo- P, iso- K);
Andropogon chrysargyreus (Stapf) A. Chev., Sudania 1: 77 (1911);
Hyparrhenia chrysargea (Stapf) Stapf, FTA 9: 312 (1919).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 491 (1972); Ghana grasses: 164 (1977); FTEA : 793 (1982) ; Gram. Togo: 232 (1983); Gram. Cameroun: 474 (1992) ; Poac. CI: 592, fig. (1995); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 338, fig (1995); Fl. Zambesiaca: 101 (2002); Fl. Bénin: 210 (2006); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 133 (2015).
Description:
* Coarse stout perennial, 0.5-2 m in tussocks; basal sheaths tomentous, sometimes glabrous. Culms stout, 1- 4 mm diam. Leaves long linear, 20-45 cm long and 2-5 mm wide, stiff; the upper ones glabrous, the lower ones sometimes hairy with a white midrib conspicuous on the upper side and margins sharply scabrid and tending to roll outwards; base hairy, slightly rounded, passing more or less straight into the sheath; ligule a brown rounded membrane of 1-1.5 mm; the upper sheaths sometimes glabrous but the basal ones with a dense felt of white hairs. Roots coarse.
* Inflorescence in an open compound panicle, 15-45 cm long, composed of paired racemes excerted laterally from a pink-purple colored spatheole; spatheole linear, 3-6 cm long; peduncle flexuous, pilose above. Racemes erect or often reflexed, 2-3 cm long, bearing 4-7 fertile spikelets on each; rachis fragile, ciliate on margins, hairs white; internodes linear, flat; bases filiform, unequal, the longer 2-3 mm long, generally or at base copiously haired with white hairs, appendage triangular, 1-2.5 mm. Only the lower raceme with one pair of homogamous spikelets (sometimes on both).
* Spikelets densely rufous-hairy. Sessile spikelets lanceolate, 5-6 mm long; callus cuneate, up to 1 mm long. Lower glume yellowish to violet, usually densely pubescent with yellow hairs. Upper lemma linear, with geniculate awn, of 2-4 cm long, with twisted column; column of lemma awn fulvous pubescent w of 0.2-0.5 mm long hairs. Pedicelled and homogamous spikelets lanceolate, 4.5-8 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, CAR, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Gabon, Congo, DRC, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, E and southern Africa,and E Asia.