Rev. Int. Bot. Appl. Agric. Trop. 33: 437 (1953).- Type: Jacques Félix 448, Guinée, Kindia (holo- P).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 479 (1972); Fl. Guinée: 476 (2009); Pl. Burkina Faso: 110 (2012).
Description:
* Caespitose perennial of 40-90 cm high; butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, 2 mm diam. Leaves conduplicate, 15-25 cm long and 1-2 mm wide, coriaceous, stiff, acuminate; ligule an eciliate membrane.
* Inflorescence compound, composed of terminal and axillary racemes, subtended by a spatheole. Spatheole linear, 4.5 cm long; peduncle 6-8 cm long. Racemes single, 3-5 cm long; rhachis fragile, glabrous, internodes cuneate, 4 mm long. Spikelets in pairs. Pedicels columnar, ciliate at tip with 1.5-2 mm long hairs.
* Fertile spikelets lanceolate, 4.5-6 mm long; callus obtuse, pilose. Lower glume lanceolate, coriaceous, keeled laterally and with 5 intercarinal veins, glabrous, dentate; upper glume lanceolate, membranous, 1-keeled, acuminate. Lower lemma lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, hyaline, ciliolate on margins; upper lemma oblong, 3 mm long, hyaline, with a geniculate awn from a sinus; awn 10-15 mm long with twisted column. Pedicelled spikelets male, lanceolate, 4-5 mm long; glumes herbaceous, keeled, 7 -veined, muticous.
Distribution West Africa and world-wide: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso.