Kirkia 3: 136 (1963); Type: Lichtenstein, South Africa (B- holo)
Aristida uniplumis Licht., Syst. Veg. 2: 401 (1817);
Aristida papposa Trin. & Rupr.,Sp. Gram. Stip. 173 (1842) incl. var. senegalensis Trin. & Rupr.;
Aristida concinna Sander, Beitr. Fl. Cap. Verd. Ins. 140 (1852);
Stipagrostis papposa (Trin. & Rupr.) de Winter, Kirkia 3: 135 (1963)
Regional litterature: FTEA: 139, fig. 46 (1970); FWTA: 376, fig. 426 (1972); Fl. Mauritanie 2: 475, fig (1991); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 86, fig. (1995); Pl. Mauritanie: 278 (1998); Poac. Niger: 142 , fig (1999); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 149 (2015)
Description:
* Perennial, usually densely tufted and with a knotted rootstock, 30-80 cm high. Culms with glabrous nodes. Leaves filiform, convolute, 5-20 cm long and 1 mm wide, surface scaberulous above; sheaths scaberulous, glabrous; ligule a fringe of hairs.
* Inflorescence an panicle of 10-15 cm long, contracted or sometimes effuse. Spikelets solitary, pedicelled.
* Spikelets lanceolate, subterete, 9-10 mm long; callus elongated and acute, curved, 1 mm long, bearded with longer hairs above. Glumes persistent, similar, lanceolate, membranous, acute and mucronate, glabrous or with a few hairs on the margins; lower glume 8 mm long; upper glume 9-10 mm long. Lemma oblong, subterete; 2-3.5 mm long coriaceous, finely tuberculate above, convolute; apex emarginated with 3-branched awn, deciduous and abscissing from top of lemma; central limb plumose, 20-35 mm long, glabrescent towards base; column twisted, 5 mm long, glabrous with bearded apex; lateral awns ascending, 10-12 mm long, glabrous.