in Bothalia 8:113 (1962).- Type: Gericke A.49, Afrique du Sud (holo- PRE).
Regional litterature: FWTA 3(2): 485 (1972); FTEA: 770 (1982); Gram. Cameroun: 425 (1992); Fl. Zambesiaca 10,4: 63 (2002).
Description:
* Small, delicate, decumbent straggling perennial of 0.3-0.8 m high; culms wiry, unbranched, 1-2 mm diameter at the base. Leaves 8-15 cm long and 2-5 mm wide, tapering into a very fine point; ligule a minutely fringed membrane of 1 mm long; sheaths glabrous to hairy.
*Inflorescence with 2-3 racemes long excerted at the tip of the culms. Racemes fragile, 3-6 cm long, clearly excerted from the spatheole; rhachis ciliate on the margins; internodes linear, 3-4 mm long, ciliate on both margins. Pedicels linear ciliate, 3 mm long. Spikelets in pairs.
* Sessile spikelets lanceolate 5-7 mm long, purplish; callus square or oblong, 0.7 mm long, pilose with white hairs of 0.5 mm long. Lower glume lanceolate, keeled laterally and narrowly winged towards the tip with intercarinal veins, 2 or more pits (3-8, lacunose) on along the longitudinal shallow median groove, acuminate; upper glume lanceolate, chartaceous, 1-keeled, with an apical awn of 1-3.5 mm long. Lower lemma oblong, hyaline; upper lemma oblong, hyaline, incised to about the middle with a geniculate awn of 8-14 mm long from the sinus; colomn twisted, glabrous; anthers 3-3.5 mm long, straw-coloured. Pedicelled spikelet well developed, male, lanceolate, 7-8 mm long; glumes chartaceous, lacunose, acuminate.
Note: Unusual species related to A. distachyos.