Kew Bull. 20: 281 (1966).- Type: Adam 18222, Senegal, Diouloulou (holo- K)
Regional litterature: FWTA: 501 (1972); Fl. Senegal 10: 51, fig 24,25 (1991, unpubl.); Fl. Guinée: 448 (2009)
Description:
* Caespitose annual of 0.4-0.8 m high; tufts reddish and rooting superficially. Culms erect. Leaves 10-30 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, tip filiform and attenuate; ligule a ciliolate truncate membrane of 2 mm long.
* Inflorescence a compound, scanty pseudo-panicle of 20-30 cm long, composed of terminal and axillary racemes. Peduncle 4-4.5 cm long. Racemes single, 1.5-2 cm long, lax, each with 2 fertile spikelets; exserted from a linear spatheole of 3.5-4 cm long; rhachis fragile at the nodes and ciliate on margins, internodes filiform, 2 mm long. Pedicels filiform, 3 mm long, ciliate at the base.
* Spikelets oblong, 6.5-7.5 mm long; callus pungent 1.8 mm long, pilose with red hairs. Glumes coriaceous, shiny; lower glume oblong, as long as spikelet, dark brown, asperulous, rough with two awns of 4-5.5 mm long; upper glume oblong with an awn 8-12 mm long. Lower lemma lanceolate, 4 mm long, hyaline, ciliate on margins; upper lemma linear, 3.5 mm long, hyaline, with a geniculate awn of 2-4 cm long from a sinus with a glabrous twisted column of 10-15 mm long. Sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels, or well-developed, male, linear, 6 mm long, separately deciduous; callus cuneate; 1 mm long. Glumes coriaceous, glabrous, with 1-2 mm long awn; lemmas 4 mm long.