in DC., Monogr. Phan. 6: 341 (1889).- Type: Barter 1176, Nigeria (holo- W, iso- K).
Regional litterature: FTA 9: 63 (1917); FWTA: 504 (1972); Ghana grasses: 142 (1977); Gram. Cameroun: 517, fig. 114 (1992); Poac. CI: 646, fig. (1985); Fl. Bénin: (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 136 (2008); Pl. Burkina Faso: 84 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 128 (2015).
Description:
* Tufted perennial, 0.3-0.5 m high; flowers appear after burning, densely hairy to villous basal sheaths. Culms with bearded nodes. Leaves aromatic, mostly basal, 5-15 cm long, 2-3 mm wide rough, with rather bluntly acute tips; ligule a ciliolate rim; basal sheaths villous, the upper ones glabrous but ciliate near the tip.
* Inflorescence composed of racemes, subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath, exserted. Racemes single, straight or arcuate, 3.5-9 cm long; rhachis fragile, villous on surface with hairs 3-4 mm long; internodes linear, 3-4 mm long, villous. Pedicels linear, flattened, villous.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate to ovate, acuminate, 6-8 mm long; callus cuneate pubescent with 3-4 mm long hairs. Lower glume ovate, chartaceous, 2-keeled, glabrous with tooth-like warts bearing marginal tufts of hair of 1-2 mm long, with 2 awns of 1-3 mm long; upper glume lanceolate, membranous, pubescent. Lemmas oblong, hyaline, 3 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets male, lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 5-6 mm long; glumes chartaceous, keeled with 1-3 mm long awn.
Distribution West Africa: Guinea Bissau, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan, ? South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Congo, Gabon.