Observ. Bot. 3: 8 (1783).- Type: ? Thomson 459, India (holo- LD, iso- K).
Regional litterature: Fl. Zambesiaca 10,1: 81, fig (1971); Fl. Sahara: 164 (1977); Fl. Mauritania: 421, fig (1991); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 42, fig (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 143 (2015).
Description:
* Loosely caespitose annual of 0.2-1 m high. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 3-several-noded, rather weak, glabrous. Leaves 5-10 cm long and 3-12 mm wide, flaccid, scaberulous; ligule an eciliate membrane of 2-7.5 mm long; sheaths shorter than internodes, upper sheaths tight at first, usually glabrous, smooth.
* Inflorescence a spiciform or capitate, oblong or ovate panicle of 1-6 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, rather dense and compact; rhachis and branches glabrous.
* Spikelets broad elliptic, with 2 basal sterile florets and 1 fertile floret, 4-6.5 mm long, disarticulating below the fertile floret. Glumes persistent, conspicuously winged on the keel, similar, longer than the lemmas and thinner than fertile lemma, elliptic, chartaceous, acute-keeled, winged on keel; lower glume 4-6.5 mm long; upper glume 4-6.5 mm long. Basal lemmas dissimilar with fertile lemma; fertile lemma elliptic, laterally compressed, 2.7-4 mm long, cartilaginous, shiny and keeled, pubescent, acute; palea cartilaginous, 2 -veined, pubescent; sterile lemma subulate, 1-1.8 mm long. Anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm long. Caryopsis 2.3-2.5 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Mauritania, Chad, Sudan
Distribution world-wide: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt and Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Europe, western and southern Asia.