in F.W. Andrews, Fl. Pl. Sudan 3: 476 (1956).- Type: dessin dans Bruce, Travels 5: 47 (1790), Ethiopia.
Andropogon afer J.F.Gmel., Syst. Nat. ed. 13[bis]: 166 (1791);
Andropogon brachyatherus Hochst., Flora 27: 241 (1844).- Type: Kotschy 368, Sudan (TUB- holo);
Andropogon intumescens Pilg., E.J. 45: 208 (1910).- Type: Ledermann 4577, Cameroon (B- holo);
Arthrolophis fazoglensis Chiov., Bull. Soc. Bot. Ital. 1919: 28 (1919);
Ischaemum brachyatherum (Höchst.) Hack., in D C , Monogr. Phan. 6: 239 (1889).
Regional litterature: FTA 9: 30 (1917); FI. Nigeria: 101 (1970); FWTA: 476 (1972); FTEA: 747 (1982); Gram. Cameroun: (1992) ; Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 314, fig (1995); Poaceae Niger : 545, fig. (1999); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,4: 51, fig (2002); Pl. Burkina Faso: 93 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 135 (2015).
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial with scaly rhizomes, 0.5-2 m high. Culms robust, erect, branched, glabrous. Leaves linear, rather tough and glaucous, 10-50 cm long and 3-8 mm long, prominently nerved, tapering into a setaceous point; sheaths glabrous; ligule membranous, obtuse.
* Inflorescence 2-5 terminal subdigitate ascending racemes. Racemes 6-20 cm long, spiciform with a fragile rhachis; internodes and pedicels clavately inflated and robust, 4 mm long, yellow to violet, glabrous or with stiff hairs.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate, 5-9 mm long with an obtuse callus. Lower glume lanceolate-oblong, coriaceous to chartaceous, with a narrowed tip, 2-keeled, concave and glabrous to villous; upper glume boat-like, keeled and spinulose ciliate at the top. Lower lemma hyaline; upper lemma hyaline, bifid with ciliate lobes and in the sinus the geniculate awn of 5-20 mm long; column glabrous. Caryopse oblong, 3 mm long, smooth and orange. Pedicelled spikelet rudimentary or well developed, 1-6 mm long, muticous, its upper lemma rarely with an awn.
Distribution West Africa: Gambia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, Uganda, NE, E and southern Africa, India.