J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 7: 233, fig. 7 (1864).- Type: Mann 2097, Cameroun (holo- K).
Hyparrhenia pusilla (Hook, f.) Stapf, FTA 9:379 (1917).
Regional litterature: FWTA: 485 (1972); Gram. Cameroun: 426 (1992).
Description: Straggling caespitose annual of 55-25 cm high; culms thin, geniculately ascending or decumbent, branched. Leaves pubescent, 2-3 cm long and 2-3 mm wide; ligule a narrow eciliate membrane of 0.4 mm long; sheaths glabrous or hirsute with tubercle based hairs, especially towards the tip.
* Inflorescence a terminal pair of racemes subtended by a spatheole; spatheole lanceolate, 4-6 cm long. Racemes in pairs, deflexed, loose, 1.5-2.5 cm long, with 2-4 fertile spikelets and 2 sterile muticous spikelets at the base; rhachis fragile, ciliate; internodes filiformes, 3-3.5 mm long, tip transverse, flat; base linear, white, linear, 1 mm long, pilose. Pedicels filiformes, ciliate.
* Sessile spikelets oblong, 5-6 mm long; callus obtuse, bearded with hairs 1-2 mm long; lower glume chartaceous, two-keeled laterally with 4-6 distinct scabrous intercarinal veins, a longitudinal median groove and one pit on both sides; upper glume with an awn of 3-6 mm long. Lower lemma oblong, hyaline; upper glume hyaline bifid to one third, with a geniculate awn of 35-45 mm long; column twisted, glabrous. Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 7-8 mm long; glumes chartaceous, with an awn of 6-8 mm long.