Gen. Pl. 2: m787 (1891).- Type: Hermann s.n., Sri Lanka (holo- BM).
Anthoxanthum indicum Linn., Sp. Pl. 28 (1753);
Perotis latifolia Ait., Hort. Kew. 1: 85 (1789), nom. superfl.
Regional litterature: FWTA: 411 (1972) ; Gram. Togo: 289 (1983); Fl. Mauritania: 426, fig (1991); Gram. Cameroun: 164, fig. 33 (1992); Pl. Vasc. Guiné-Bissau: 173 (2006); Pl. Burkina Faso: 106 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Annual caespitose, 10-40 cm high. Culms geniculately ascending. Leaves lanceolate, or ovate, 1-3 cm long and 2-7 mm wide; ligule an eciliate membrane.
* Inflorescence composed of one raceme. Raceme 2-15 cm long. Spikelet packing irregular. Spikelets spreading or ascending, solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.2 mm long, with fine, sometimes dark glands at the base.
* Spikelets linear or lanceolate, 1.7-3 mm long; callus oblong 0.2-0.5 mm long. Glume equal, lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 mm long, membranous, hispidulous with awns of 5 -15 mm long; upper glume lanceolate 1.5-2.5 mm long, membranous, hispidulous; keel distinct, with an awn 5-15 mm long. Lemma lanceolate, 0.5-1 mm long, hyaline, acute. Caryopse fusiformous, 1-1.3 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad
Distribution world-wide: DRC, Congo, Gabon and Tanzania and Asia.