FTA 9: 315 (1918).- Type: Burser 1.119, Italie (holo- UPS)
Andropogon hirtus Linné, Sp. PI. éd. 1: 1046 (1753);
Cymbopogon modicus De Wild., Bull. Jard. Bot. Brux. 6: 16 (1919);
Hyparrhenia quarrei Robyns, FI. Agrost. Congo Belge 1: 171 (1929);
Hyparrhenia hirta var. longiaristata Rothm. & P. Silva, Agron. Lusit. 1: 240 (1939).
Regional literature: FI. Nigeria: 98 (1970); FWTA: 492 (1972); Fl. Sahara: 157 (1977); FTEA: 798 (1982); Fl. Mauritania: 460, fig (1991); Gram. Cameroun: 482 (1992); Pl. Mauritanie: 309 (1998); Poaceae Niger : 605, fig. (1999); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,4: 107 (2002); Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Densely caespitose perennial of 0.3-1 m high, somewhat fibrous at the base. Culms erect, branched in the upper part; basal sheaths white pubescent, fibrous and persistant at the base of the plant. Leaves filiformes, 2-30 cm long and 1-5 mm wide, rigid, scabrous, glabrous or slightly pubescent om the upper side; ligule membranous, up to 4 mm long; sheaths compressed and keeled..
* Inflorescence a scary spathate panicle of 5-30 cm long with 2-10 raceme pairs. Spatheoles linear-lanceolate, 3-5 cm long, reddish at maturity; peduncles as long as spatheoles of somewhat longer. Racemes never deflexed, 1.5-4 cm long, terminally excerted, 8-13 awned per pair, internodes villous with white hairs; bases unequal, upper 2.5-5 mm long, filiform, pubescent to hirsute with or without a white beard at the foot. One pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower or both racemes.
* Sessile spikelets linear-elliptic, 4-6.5 mm long, yellowish green to violette, villous with white hairs; callus 0.5-1.5 mm long, subacute to acute. Lower glume lanceolate, coriaceous, keel-lees except near the bifid tip. Lower lemma lanceolate, hyaline; upper lemma linear, membranous, bifid with a geniculate awn of 10-35 mm long from the sinus, the column twisted, puberulous with appressed short hairs of 0.2-0.3 mm long. Anthers 3; stigmas 2.
Distribution West Africa: Cape Verde, Mauritania, Niger, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Western Sahara, Moroc, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, DRC, Congo, Gabon, C, NE, E and southern Africa, W Asia.