Ess. Agrostogr. 101, 155 (1812).- Type: England.
Festuca sylvatica Huds., Fl. Angl. 38 (1762).
Regional litterature: FTEA: 73 (1970); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 58, fig (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 117 (2015).
Description:
* Tufted perennial of 0.3-0.9 m high. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, wiry; internodes smooth and nodes pubescent. Leaves 15-35 cm long, 4-12 cm wide, flaccid, pilose; ligule an eciliate membrane of 1-6 mm long; sheaths smooth, pilose.
* Inflorescence a drooping or erect solitary raceme of 6-20 cm long with 4-14 spikelets 2-rowed. Pedicels linear, 0.5-2 mm long.
* Spikelets with 8-16 fertile florets and diminished florets towards the tip, breaking up at maturity below each floret, lanceolate or oblong, 2-4 cm long. Glumes similar, lanceolate, membranous, the lower 6-8 mm and the upper 8-11 mm long. Lemma oblong, 7-11 mm long, 7-veined, pubescent with an apical awn of 8-12 mm long. Anthers 3, 3.5-4 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Cape Verde, Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Algeria, Morocco, Tunesia, Eritrea, Europa and Asia.
Note: A species with many (aprr. 90) synonyms.