Compt. Rend. Rend. Acad. Sci. 159: 561 (1914).- Type: Chevalier 10306, Chad (lecto- P).
Oryza dewildemanii Vanderyst, Bull. Agric. Trop. Belge 11: 123 (1920) nom. invalid.;
Oryza barthii auct. non A. Chev., Troupin, Fl. Garamba 1: 60 (1956);
Oryza perennis sensu Cuf., Enum. 39:1304 (1969), auct. non Moench (1794).
Regional litterature: FTEA: 30 (1970); Fl. Nig.: 20 (1970); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,1: 35 (1971); FWTA: 365 (1972); Ghana grasses: 194 (1977); Gram. Togo: 263, fig. (1983); Gram. Cameroun: 51, fig 10 (1992); Poicelot, Poac. CI: 76, fig. (1995); Pl. Mauritania: 270 (1998); Fl. Bénin: 222, fig (2006); Poac. CI:76, fig. (1995); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 10, fig (1995); Poac. Niger: 105 (1999); Pl. Vasc. Guiné-Bissau: 170 (2006); Fl. Guinea Bissau: 139 (2008); Pl. Burkina Faso: 99 (2012); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 138 (2015).
Description:
* Lax, erect perennial with large spreading rhizomes and soft culms rooting at the lower nodes, to about 2 m. Culms glabrous and swollen and spongy at the base with a diameter of more than 1 cm. Leaves glaucus-green, long linear, scabrid on the upper and glabrous on the lower surface, up to 30 cm long and 1.5 cm broad, margins sharply scabrid or with a toothed edge; base narrowed into a false petiole; ligule a large acutely pointed membrane of 1.5-4.5 cm long; sheath glabrous. Roots stout and vigorous.
* Inflorescence a long ascending panicle of 20-30 cm long with branches of up to 5 cm and pale-awned deciduous spikelets.
* Spikelets narrow oblong, hispid, 7-10 mm long. Basal lemmas sterile, 2-3 mm long; upper lemma with purplish-red awn of 4-10 cm long; anthers creamy yellow.
Distribution West Africa: Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: C, NE, E and southern Africa.