Kirkia 3: 135 (1963).- Type:
Aristida pungens Desf., Fl. Atlant. 1: 109 (1798); Fl. Sahara: 166 (1977).
Regional litterature: Fl. Mauritanie 2: 475 , fig (1991); Pl. Mauritanie: 278 (1998); Poac. Niger: 147, fig (1999); Fl. Chad (2013).
Description:
* Perennial with woolly roots and elongated rhizomes, 0.5-1 m high. Culms robust, branched suffrutescent. Leaves aciculate, 15-30 cm long and 2-3 mm wide, coriaceous, stiff and glaucous, surface hairy adaxially, pungent; ligule a fringe of hairs; sheaths scaberulous.
* Inflorescence a linear or lanceolate contracted panicle of 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm wide. Spikelets solitary, pedicelled
* Spikelets lanceolate, subterete, 14-15 mm long; callus elongated and acute, 1 mm long, bearded and disarticulating obliquely. Glumes persistent, similar, lanceolate, acuminate, membranous; lower glume 13 mm long, lanceolate with a slightly excurrent nerve; upper glume 14-15 mm long. Lemma oblong, 5 mm long, coriaceous, convolute and covering most of palea, acute, with 3-branched deciduous awn with 12-15 mm long plumose limb and twisted column of 1-2 mm long, abscissing from top, lateral awns 12-15 mm long, plumose.