Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1934: 435 (1934).- Type: Schimper 788, Yemen (iso- P, GOET,K,W).
Tristachya barbata Nees, Fl. Afr. Austral. III: 269 (1841).
Regional litterature: Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 285, fig. (1995); Pl. Sudan & S Sudan: 125 (2015).
Description:
* Tough glaucous, tufted perennial of 0.3-0.4 m high, from a knotty rhizome. Culms thin and hard, erect or geniculately ascending, fasciculately branched. Leaves linear to lanceolate, 2.5-18 cm long and 3-10 mm wide, stiff, glaucous, margins cartilaginous, softly villous; ligule a fringe of hairs; sheaths hirsute, oral hairs bearded.
* Inflorescence an untidy panicule of 4-18 cm long; branches scaberulous. Spikelets in triads, pedicelled, occasionally 1 or 2 spikelets abortive, borne on simple or sparsely branched, flexuous, usually paired branches. Pedicels 0.5-4 mm long.
* Spikelets lanceolate, 9-11 mm long. Lower glume lanceolate, 4-7 mm long; upper glume lanceolate-oblong, chartaceous, 6-9 mm long. Lower lemma similar to upper glume, linear lanceolate, membranous, 9-11 mm long; upper lemma oblong, 5-6.5 mm long, coriaceous, bearded at the base, topped by a transverse fringe of hairs of 4-5 mm long, apex with a principal geniculate awn from a sinus of 1.5-2 cm long and lateral awns 2-3 mm long. Anthers 3, 3.5-5 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: Sudan.
Distribution world-wide: Egypt, NE Africa, Arabic peninsular.
Note: Lower floret is shed early before the upper hairy fertile floret falls.