Kew Bull. 20: 447 (1966).- Type: Myers 13533, Sudan, Mabu (holo- K, iso- PRE).
Hyparrhenia edulis C.E. Hubbard, Hooker’s Icon. Pl. 35, t. 3495A&B (1950).
Regional litterature: Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 27, fig (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 131, 135 (2015).
Description:
* Annual of 3-5.7 m high. Culms 4-9 mm diameter with prop roots; nodes glabrous or bearded. Leaves linear to lanceolate, 0.5-1 m long and 2-4 cm wide, glabrous, the base narrowed to a false petiole of 5-16 cm long; ligule a truncate eciliate membrane of 12-24 mm long; sheaths glabrous with auricles of 12-24 mm long.
* Inflorescence a spathate panicle of 1-1.5 m long composed of terminal and axillary paired spatheolate racemes; spatheole large and green, lanceolate, 6.5-10 cm long, scarious, purple, glabrous; peduncle glabrous or pilose above. Racemes deflexed or spreading, 4.5-6 cm long with two straight awns per racemes-pair; rhachis fragile at the nodes, ciliate on margins; bases filiform, unequal, the longer 1-4 mm long, glabrous, with 1.5-2 cm long appendage. One pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower raceme and none in upper raceme.
* Sessile spikelets linear, subterete, 2.5-3.5 cm long; callus cuneate, 8-10 mm long, pilose, pungent with white hairs. Lower glume oblong, coriaceous, much thinner above, 12-14-veined, with a longitudinal median groove, setaceous; upper glume oblong, coriaceous with an awn of 1-10 mm long. Lower lemma oblong, ciliate on margins; upper lemma 10-14 mm long with a geniculate awn of 9-14 cm long from the sinus with twisted hirtellous column. Pedicelled and homogamous spikelets lanceolate, 9-14 mm long, as long as fertile with a cuneate callus of 0.3-0.8 mm long; glumes coriaceous with an up to 2 mm long awn.
Distribution West Africa and world-wide: South Sudan.