Kew Bull. 4: 367 (1949).- Type: Ibadan Dept, Agric. Samaru 21, Nigeria (holo- K).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 502 (1972); Ghana grasses: 254, fig. 97 (1977); Gram. Togo: 336, fig. (1983); Fl. Bénin: (1992); Poac. CI: 642, fig. (1985); Pl. Burkina Faso: 118 (2012).
Description:
* Simple coarse erect perennial bunchgrass of 1.2-2.7 m high. Culms erect, 3-5 mm diam. Leaves very long and stiff, convolute, 0.5-1.0 m long, 3-7 mm wide, linear, glabrous with a conspicuous broad white midrib, scabrid nerves and sharply scabrid margins; base slightly narrowed, barely rounded; ligule a well developed 1-2 mm long, smooth, square membrane between the auricles of the bearded sheath. Roots coarse and stout. Culms and leaves tasting very bitter.
* Inflorescence consisting of 1-4 stout straight subdigitate racemes. Racemes smoothly terete, 15-30 cm long; rachis fragile at the nodes, semi terete oblong internodes, 7-9 mm long with an oblique tip. Spikelets in pairs; fertile spikelet sessile; sterile spikelet pedicelled; pedicels oblong, 7-8 mm long, puberulous.
* Spikelets oblong to elliptic, 6-7 mm long; callus obtuse, pubescent. Lower glume elliptic, coriaceous, keeled near the apex, spinose or muricate, acute; upper glume ovate, coriaceous with spinulose rib. Lower lemma oblong, hyaline; margins ciliolate, obtuse; palea lanceolate, hyaline. Pedicelled spikelets well-developed, elliptic, 7-8.5 mm long. Glumes coriaceous, attenuate; lower glume with a 5-8 cm long awn.
Distribution West Africa and world-wide: Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria.