Kew Bull., add. ser. 2: 140 (1969).- Type: Thollon 1037, Congo (holo- P, iso- K).
Andropogon niariensis Franchet, Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun: 330 (1895);
Andropogon viancini Franch. Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Autun: 331 (1895).- Type: Viancin s.n., CAR (holo- P);
Hyparrhenia confinis var. macrarrhena Hack. Mongr. Phan. 6: 642 (1889).-Type: Schweinfurth 2618, Sudan (holo- P);
Hyparrhenia macrarrhena (Hack.) Stapf, FTA 9: 355 (1918);
Hyparrhenia niariensis var. macrarrhena (Hack.) Clayton, Kew Bull., Addit. Ser. 2: 141 (1969).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 494 (1972); FTEA: 813 (1982); Gram. Cameroun: 489 (1992); Fl. Zambesiaca: 126 (2002); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 133 (2015).
Description:
* Annual of 1-3 m high. Culms erect, supported by stilt roots. Leaves up to 60 cm long and 15 mm wide, rough, glabrous or pubescent below, narrowed at the base or with a false petiole; ligule truncate, 2-6 mm long, laterally adnate to the short auricles from the mouth of the sheath..
* Inflorescence a spathate panicle of 30-50 cm long. Spatheoles 3-5 cm long, glabrous or with a few hairs; peduncles as long as the spatheoles, with light yellow to fulvous hairs on the tip of up to 1 cm long. Racemes in pairs, 1.5-1.8 cm long with 2, sometimes 3 awns per raceme pair; base pubescent with yellow or brownish hairs; appendage broad triangular, 0.5-4 mm long; upper raceme with one triad of spikelets; one pair of homogamous spikelets at the base of the lower raceme only.
* Sessile spikelets oblong to lanceolate, 7.5-11 mm long including the pungent callus of 2-3 mm long, light green, pubescent. Lower glume lanceolate, slightly concave, chartaceous to coriaceous, keel-less except towards the tip. Lower lemma lanceolate, hyaline, 2-veined; upper lemma linear, membranous, bifid and with a geniculate awn of 6.5-11 cm long from the sinus; column twisted pubescent with short hairs. Pedicelled spikelets lanceolate, 8-13 mm long, glume with an awn of 2-10 mm long; pedicel tooth obscure. Homogamous spikelets lanceolate, 9-11 mm long, glabrous and awnless.
Distribution West Africa: Cameroon, CAR, South Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: DRC, Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and southern Africa.