FTA 9: 341 (1919).- Type: Quartin Dillon, Ethiopia (syn- P); Schimper 408, Ethiopia (isosyn- K, isolecto- P).
Andropogon schimperi Hochst. ex A. Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 466 (1850);
Andropogon schimperi var. longicuspis Hochst, in sched., Schimp. Iter Abyss. 2: 1052 (1842) nom. invalid.; Hochst. ex . Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 467 (1851), in synon.;
Sorghum schimperi (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 792 (1891);
Cymbopogon schimperi (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Rendle, Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 2 155 (1899);
Regional litterature: FTEA: 808 (1982); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 345, fig (1995); Fl. Zambesiaca: 121 (2002); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 134 (2015).
Description:
* Robust tufted perennial with a short underground rhizome, 2-4 m high. Culms up to 8 mm diameter, often supported by stilt roots. Leaves 30-60 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, glabrous or with a few hairs beneath; ligule an eciliate membrane of up to 3 mm long; sheaths glabrous, rarely pubescent at the base.
* Inflorescence a large decompounds spatheolate panicle of 30-60 cm long. Spatheoles narrowly lanceolate, 2.2-3.2 mm long, glabrous, turning russet brown; peduncles short, 10-15 mm long, up to half as long as spatheole, pilose towards the tip. Racemes paired, 1.2-1.6 cm long, 6-8 awned per pair; internodes 2-2.5 mm long, excerted laterally; bases subequal, flattened, the upper 0.5-1.5 mm long, stiffly setose, the tip with a scarious rim up to 0.6 mm long. One pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower raceme only.
* Sessile spikelets lancolate, 4-5 mm long, glabrescent to sparsely pubescent; callus 0.5-0.8 mm long, cuneate to acute, pubescent. Lower glume lanceolate, coriaceous, keel-less, except towards the tip; upper glume linear. Lower lemma lanceolate, hyaline; upper lemma linear, membranous, bifid with the geniculate awn of 2-3.3 cm long from the sinus; column twisted, puberulous to pubescent. Pedicelled spikelets sterile or male, lanceolate, 5-7 mm long, chartaceous, glabrous to shortly and sparsely pilose, lower glume with an awn-point of 1-6 mm long. Homogamous spikelets sterile, lanceolate, 5-8 mm long, glabrous to pilose, muticous.
Note: Rather indistinctly separated from H. variabilis.
Distribution West Africa: Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: DRC, Ethiopia, Uganda; E and southern Africa.