Syst. Veg. 2: 470 (1817).- Type: Young s.n., India, Maharashtra (iso- L).
Paspalum bicorne Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 1: 176 (1791);
Digitaria commutata Schult., Mant. 2: 262 (1824).
Regional litterature: Fl. Sahara: 158 (1977); Fl. Mauritania: 440, fig (1991).
Description:
* Annual of 20-45 cm high. Culms decumbent, sometimes rooting from the lower nodes. Leaves elliptic, 1-12 cm long and 2-8 mm wide, scaberulous and pilose with tubercle based hairs on both sides, margins undulate, sometimes cartilaginous, acute; ligule an eciliate truncate membrane of 2 mm long; sheath glabrous or with tubercle based hairs,
* Inflorescence 2-4 paired or digite racemes. Racemes straight, unilateral, 5-10 cm long; rhachis narrowly winged, angular, scabrous on the margins. Spikelets in pairs, the lower almost glabrous, the upper setose, on scabrous pedicels.
* Spikelets elliptic, 3 mm long, acute. Lower glume ovate, 0.2-0.5 mm long, obtuse; upper glume lanceolate, 2/3 of spikelet length, membranous, 3-veined, glabrous but margins ciliate or setose, acute. Lower lemma without palea, elliptic, as long as spikelet, membranous, ribbed with thickened nerves, pilose or setose (upper spikelet), hairy between the veins bit central interspaces glabrous, ciliate on margins; upper lemma elliptic, as long as spikelet, cartilaginous, the margins thinner and covering most of palea, light brown, acute.
Distribution West Africa: Mauritania, Cameroon.
Distribution world-wide: Madagascar, Asia, Australia, introduced in the Americas.