Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1934: 116 (1934).- Type: Glanville 79, Sierra Leone (holo K).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 389 (1972); Pl. Vasc. Guiné-Bissau: 167 (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 137 (2008); Fl Zambesiaca 10,2: 75 (1999); Fl. Guinée: 460 (2009).
Description:
* Caespitose perennial of 0.6-1 m high. Culms erect. Leaves involute or convolute, 25-45 cm long and 1-2.5 mm wide; ligule a fringe of hairs.
* Inflorescence an open oblong effuse panicle of 10-30 cm long; branches capillary, flexuous, scaberulous. Spikelets pedicelled; pedicels filiform, 5-12 mm long.
* Spikelets comprising 3-5 basal sterile and 5-10 fertile florets; apical florets underdeveloped, elliptic or oblong, 6-7.5 mm long and 3.8-4.5 mm wide, breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent, shedding paleas, internodes obscured by lemmas. Glumes deciduous, ovate, 1.2-1.6 mm long, acute. Basal lemmas similar but up to 2 mm long, barren, without significant palea, separately deciduous; fertile lemmas ovate, 2-3 mm long, chartaceous, keeled, 3 -veined, obtuse; palea keels ciliate, cilia 0.2-0.4 mm long. Anthers 3, 0.8-1.4 mm long. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, oblong, 1 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, CAR.
Distribution world-wide: DRC, Congo and Angola and Zambia.