Jahresh. Vereins Vaterl. Naturk. Württemberg 3: 62 (1847).- Type: Schimper s.n., Saudi Arabia (iso- P)
Chrysopogon quinqueplumis A.Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 450 (1850).- Type: Schimper 726, Ethiopia (iso- K);
Andropogon quinqueplumis (A.Rich.) Steud., Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 398 (1854);
Andropogon aucheri var. quinqueplumis (A.Rich.) Hack. in A.L.P.P. de Candolle & A.C.P.de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 6: 561 (1889);
Chrysopogon aucheri var. quinqueplumis (A.Rich.) Stapf, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1907: 211 (1907).
Regional litterature: FTA 9: 160 (1917); FWTA: 468 (1972); FTEA: 737, fig. 171 (1982); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 303, fig. (1995); Poac. Niger : 521, fig. (1999); Fl. Chad (2013); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 123 (2015).
Description:
* Caespitose perennial with short rhizomes, 0.1-0,9 m high. Culms robust, erect, or ascending, simple or branched, pubescent under the ciliate nodes. Leaves flat, glaucous 1-15 cm long and 1-3 mm wide, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes ciliate; sheaths glabrous
* Inflorescence in ovate panicles of 3-10 cm long; branches verticellate with 4-6, spreading, capillairy and with tawnyhairs on the tip; axis scabrous. Spikelets in triades, one sessile fertile and 2 pedicelled male or neutral; triade detaches as a whole.
* Spikelets linear, 4-6 mm long, including the pungent barbed callus of 1.5-2 mm long. Glumes subequal, as long as spikelet; the lower papery, laterally compressed, acute, miticous, keel rounded, scabrous and more or less ciliate towards the tip; upper glume navicular, bidented and extended into a plumose awn of 7-15 mm long. Lower floret reduced t a hyaline lemma; upper lemma entire, ending in a hairy and tawny awn of 2-3 cm long . Pedicelled spikelet narrowly lanceolate; glumes muticous or extended in a plumose awn of up to 15 mm long.
Note: Closely related to the east and southern African species C. serrulatus but with consistent differences (callus, length and plumose awn upper glume.
Distribution West Africa: Niger, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia and Uganda, and NE and E Africa,SW Asia.