FTA 9: 331 (1919).- Type: Schimper 1822, Ethiopia (syn P, isosyn K); 1832, Ethiopia (syn P); Quartin Dillon sn, Ethiopia (syn P).
Andropogon anthistirioides A. Rich., Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 463 (1850);
Andropogon pseudocymbaria Steud., Syn. Pl. Glum. 1: 399 (1854);
Hyparrhenia pseudocymbaria (Steud.) Stapf, FTA 9: 329 (1918).
Regional litterature: FTEA: 804 (1982); Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 341, fig (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 132 (2015).
Description:
* Annual of 0.3-2 m high, often small on poorer soils. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, sometimes with stilt roots from the lowest nodes. Leaves up to 30 cm long and 10 mm wide, glabrous or very sparsely pilose, somewhat flaccid; ligule 1 mm long; sheaths glabrous.
* Inflorescence a spathate panicle of 20-30 cm long, often reduced to just a few raceme-pairs, the coloured spathes and spatheoles contrasting with the dark awns. Spatheoles 1.8-3.2 cm long, lanceolate, thinly scarious, often brightly streaked in shades of green, yellow and orange-brown; peduncles 5-10 mm long, barbate above. Racemes 1.1-1.3 cm long, 3-4(5)-awned per pair, exserted laterally, deflexed; raceme-bases subequal, the superior 1 mm long, flattened, stiffly barbate, with or without a scarious lobe up to 0.2 mm long at the summit. One pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower raceme only.
* Sessile spikelets 5-6 mm long, dark brown; callus 0.5-1 mm long, cuneate, subacute. Lower glume lanceolate-oblong, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Awn dark brown, 3.2-4.5 cm long, the column usually dark brown and hirtellous with hairs 0.8-1 mm long. Pedicelled spikelets 5-6 mm long, glabrous except for the ciliolate margins, terminating in a fine straight awnlet 3-6 mm long; pedicel-tooth obscure. Homogamous spikelets 8-11 mm long glabrous except for the ciliolate margins.
Distribution West Africa: Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, and NE Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi.