Ess. Agrostogr. 101 (1812).- Type: Hasselquist s.n. HL 93-48, Europe (lecto- LINN).
Bromus distachyos Linn., Cent. Pl. II: 8 (1756);
Trachynia distachya (Linn.) Link, Hort. Berol. 1: 43 (1827);
Festuca schimperi (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Steud., Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 316 (1854).- Type: Schimper 59, Ethiopia (iso- BR,W).
Regional litterature: Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 55, fig (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 117 (2015).
Description:
* Loosely tufted annual of 5-50 cm high, bright green or glaucous. Culms slender, stiff, decumbent or geniculately ascending. Leaves 1-15 cm long and 1-6 mm wide, glaucous, shortly pilose; ligule a shortly ciliate membrane of 1 mm long; sheaths glabre or pilose, shortly auriculate.
* Inflorescence a solitary raceme of 2-8 cm long bearing 1-7 spikelets in 2 rows. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long.
* Spikelets with 5-16 fertile florets and diminished florets at the tip, oblong, 1-3 cm long, breaking up at maturity under each floret. Lower glume lanceolate, 5-6 cm long, coriaceous; upper glume oblong, 7-8 mm long, coriaceous, 7-veined, lateral veins ribbed, acute. Lemmas oblong, laterally compressed, 8-10 mm long, glaucous, margins ciliolate above, acute and with an awn of 8-13 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Cape Verde, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia and NE Africa, S Europe, W and S Asia; introduced in Australia and the Americas.
Note: Cardoso de Mato 6103 reports an introduction in Cape Verde.