Sp. Gram. Stipac.: 152 (1842).- Type: Ecklon & Zeyher s.n., South Africa (syn- S).
Regional litterature: FTEA: 158 (1970); Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Densely tufted perennial of 20–90 cm high. Culms glabrous. Leaves linear, 3–20 cm long, folded or convolute; sheaths compressed, glabrous, the lower strongly keeled, the auricles bearded or not.
* Inflorescence an ovate panicle of 7–20 cm long, open, the spikelets crowded into dense bushy spikes at the ends of the main branches.
* Spikelets mostly grey or purple; callus linear, 1–1.5 mm long, finely obtuse at the tip. Glumes unequal, lanceolate, scaberulous on the keel and sometimes also on the flanks, the lower 3–7 mm long, the upper 7–11 mm long, both with a short awn-point up to 2 mm long. Lemma terete, 4–5 mm long, scabrid upwards with a 3-nbranched awn; column 2–4 mm long, articulated just below the branching point; branches 12–28 mm long, stiff, ± spreading.