Kew Bull., add. ser. 2: 127 (1969).- Type: Schimper 1116, Ethiopie (holo- P; iso- K).
Andropogon umbrosus Hochst., Sched. Schimp. Iter. Abyss. 2: 1116 (1842).
Regional litterature: FI. Nigeria: 99 (1970); FWTA: 494 (1972); FTEA: 810 (1982); Gram. Cameroun: (1992); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 134 (2015).
Description:
* Robust perennial herb of 1-2 m high. Culms erect or decumbent with stilt roots, 3-6 mm diameter. Leaves cauline, linear, 30-60 cm long and 6-12 mm wide; ligule an eciliate membrane of 2 mm long.
* Inflorescence a dense oblong spatheolate panicle of 20-30 cm long and 5-10 cm wide with terminal andaxillary paired racemes. Spatheoles boat-shaped, 1.5-2.5 cm long, brown, glabrous or slightly pilose on the margins; pedoncles 0.5-1.5 cm long, half as long as the spatheoles, white hairs at the tip. Racemes laterally excerted, deflexed, 1 cm long; internodes flattened; awns 4-6 per raceme pair; bases subequal, flattened, truncate, 0.5 mm long. Two pairs of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower and no homogamous spikelets at the base of the upper raceme.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate, 4 mm long pubescent to pilose; callus oblong, rounded, 0.4 mm long. Lower glume lancolate, coriaceous, villous. Upper lemma linear, membranous, bifid with a geniculate awn of 0.5-1.5 cm long from the sinus, column twisted, [uberulous or pubescent with 0.2-0.4 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets lanceolate, villous, 5-6 mm long, muticous or mucronate. Homogamous spikelets 5-6 mm long, glumes villous, muticous.
Note: H. umbrosa is related to H. cymbaria and H. formosa, its acceptance as separate species is open to question.
Distribution West Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon, ?Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Uganda; E and South Africa.