Fl. Cap. 7: 376 (1898).- Type: Baur 287, South Africa, Bazeia (syn- K), MacOwan 1300,Grahamstown, South Africa (syn- K,P).
Digitaria phaeotricha var patens Clayton, Kew Bull. 23: 294 (1969).- Type: Jaeger 9791, Mt Loma, Sierra Leone 9holo- K);
Digitaria nardifolia Stapf, FTA 9: 444 (1919).- Type: Homblé 10, DRC, Shaba (syn- K); Gossweiler 2386, Angola (syn- K).
Regional litterature: Fl. Ethiopia & Eritrea 7: 249 (1995)
Description:
* Dense caespitose perennial, with persistant butt sheaths, investing the base and becoming fibrous, 0.2-0.5 m high. Culms erect with brown, bearded or glabrous nodes. Leaves tough, involute, 5-15 cm long and 2-3 mm wide, scaberulous or papillose, rough adaxially, glabrous, margins scabrous; ligule a ciliolate membrane; sheaths glabrous or pilose.
* Inflorescence composed of a fascicle of 2-3(-5) digitate racemes. Racemes unilateral, 10-20 cm long, often compound below; rhachis wingless, angular, 0.2-0.4 mm wide, scabrous on the margin. Spikelets in threes, pedicels 1-4 mm long.
* Spikelets oblong, 3-3.8 mm long. Lower glume a little hyaline basal cuff; upper glume oblong, 2/3-4/5 as long as spikelet, membranous, 3-veined, pubescent with red hairs. Lower lemma as long as spikelt, membranous, 7-veined, pubescent with red hairs; upper lemma oblong, as long as spikelet, cartilaginous, thinner on the margins, dark brown.
Distribution West Africa: Sierra Leone, Guinea (introduced according to Plant List).
Distribution world-wide: Ethiopia, DRC and southern Africa, East Asia.