Österr. Bot. Z. 117: 290 (1969).- Type: Shaw, Libya (holo- K).
Aristida shawii H. Scholz, Willdenowia 5: 475 (1969).
Regional litterature: Fl. Egypt.: 233 (2005).
Description:
* Annual up to 15 cm. Culms with woolly internodes. Lower leaf-sheaths wooly.
* Inflorescence a lax sparse panicle, excerted or not fully. Annual of 10-15 cm high. Culm internodes distally pubescent. Leaves filiform, 5-10 cm long and 0.5 mm wide; ligule a fringe of hairs; sheaths glabrous to woolly.
* Inflorescence an open lanceolate panicle of 5-10 cm long.
* Spikelets lanceolate, subterete, 15-16 mm long; callus pubescent, 2-2.5 mm long, pungent. Glumes lanceolate, membranous, longer than the floret, acuminate; lower glume 11-14 mm long; upper glume 15-16 mm long, puberulous, with 2 basal tufts of hairs. Lemma 3-4 mm long, coriaceous, 3-veined, margins convolute; awn 3-branched, with a 45-47 mm long plumose limb; column straight or slihghtly twisted, 3-5 mm long, deciduous, abscissing from the top of the lemma; lateral branches 12-15 mm long.
Note: Only known from the type specimen