in Hook. Ic. Pl. 35: t 3457 (1947).- Type: Ehrenber & Hemprich s.n., Arabia (holo- LE).
Vilfa setulosa Trinius, Mém. Act. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math.2nd Pt. Sci. Nat. 5 (2): 55 (1840).
Regional litterature: Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 157, fig 64 (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 151 (2015).
Description:
* Tough tussocky perennial from a short rhizome, the lower sheaths coriaceous, yellowish, imbricate, up to 90 cm high, pubescent. Culms erect or geniculately ascending. Leaves tough, glaucous, mostly convolute, up to 30 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, strongly ribbed and pubescent on the inner surface, pungent; sheaths puberulose.
* Inflorescence a narrowly cylindrical panicle of 4.5-16 mm long with tightly congested, subsessile spikelets, pale green or purple-tinged. Axis with runded ribs, pubescent. Spikelets sessile.
* Spikelets oblong, 2-3 mm long, membranous. Glumes elliptic, thinly ciliolate on the keels and the margins, persistent; lower glume 1.5-2.5 mm long, acute or obtuse; upper glume 2.6-3 mm long, acute or mucronate. Lemma lanceolate, glabrous or thinly pilose, subacute with a mucro or awnlet of 0.3-0.7 mm long. Anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm long. Caryopsis glossy, ellipsoid, 0.8 mm long with a thickened beak.
Note: The glaucus, pungent leaves and thin cylindrical inflorescence are reminiscent of Sporobolus spicatus which occurs in similar coastal habitats but has a strongly stoloniferous habit.
Distribution West Africa: Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: NE Africa, Arabia, S Asia.