Fl. Algérie Monocot.: 237 (1895).- Type: Forsskal 47, 1257, Egypt, Alexandria (syn- C); Forsskal 1258, Egypt, Alexandria (lecto- C).
Festuca dichotoma Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 22 (1775).
Regional litterature: Fl. Sahara: 185 (1977); Fl. Mauritania: 429, fig (1991); Fl. Libya: 35 (1988).
Description:
* Annual of 5-30 cm high; basal shoots sometimes covered by a dense white felt of hairs. Culms erect, geniculately ascending or decumbent, highly branched, glabrous or with white hairs. Leaves filiform, folded or rolled, 2-10 cm long and 0.5-1.5 mm wide; ligule a glabrous white membrane of 2-5 mm long; sheaths inflated, smooth.
* Inflorescence an open or dense lanceolate panicle of 2-8 cm long. Axis bearing deciduous branches 1-2-nate, stiff, straight, angular, scabrous with prominent pulvini.
Spikelets solitary and pedicelled. Pedicels oblong angular, 0.2-1 mm long.
* Spikelets comprising 2-8 fertile florets with diminished florets at the apex, 6-11.5 mm long, desarticulating below each fertile floret; internodes 1.5-2.5 mm long and pubescent. Glumes persistent, similar, membranous,1-keeled; -veined; lower glume lanceolate, 2.5-4.5 mm long; upper glume lanceolate, 2.7-5 mm long. Lemma 4-6 mm long, glabrous-puberulent, acute with a small mucro, appressed to rhachilla, overlapping 0.3-0.4 their length, lanceolate, 4-5.8 mm long, keeled, 3 -veined, 2 -fid, mucronate; palea keels scabrous. Anthers 3, 0.3-0.5 mm long. Caryopsis linear, 2.5-3 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Mauritania.
Distribution world-wide: Morocco, Algeria, Tunesia, Libya, Egypt and W Asia.