Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew1934: 428 (1934).- Type: Chevalier 34898, Guinée (holo- P).
Tristachya coarctata Camus, Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 53: 774 (1933).
Regional litterature: FTA 10: 37 (1937); FWTA: 417 (1972); Gram. Cameroun: 374 (1992); Fl. Guinée: 464 (2009); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 136 (2015).
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial of 0.7-1.2 m high; butt sheaths persistant with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, nodes brown. Leaves mainly basal, densely pilose, linear, convolute, 15-40 cm long and 0.5-1 mm wide; ligule a fringe of hairs.
* Inflorescence a contracted spiciform panicle of 5-10 cm long and 8-15 mm wide; branches up to 6 mm long.
* Spikelets lanceolate, 9-11 mm long, acuminate, yellowish; callus pubescent 0.4-0.7 mm long, truncate. Lower glume lanceolate, acute, 8-9 mm long with 2 prominent vein-lines of hairs based on dark tubercles; upper glume as long as spikelet, chartaceous with tubercle-based hairs on both margins. Lower lemma similar to upper glume, obtuse; upper lemma linear-lanceolate, 5-6 mm long, pubescent, acute with a geniculate awn of 3-4 cm long from the tip; column twisted, 10 mm. Anthers 2.
Distribution West Africa: Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Congo, DRC, Zambia.