Symb. Bot. 2: 22 (1791).- Type: Commerson s.n., Colombia (?- MA).
Bromus unioloides Kunth, Nov. Gen Spec. 1:151 (1816).- Type: South America.
Description:
* Laxly tufted short-lived perennial of 0.2-1 m high. Culms erect or geniculately ascending. Leaves 10-30 cm long and 3-8 mm wide; ligule an eciliate membrane; sheaths glabrous or the lower pubescent.
* Inflorescence an open oblong panicle of 10-40 cm long; branches flexuous, spreading or nodding longer than the spikelets.
* Spikelets with 6-12 fertile florets and diminished florets towards the tip, ovate, strongly laterally compressed, 1.5-4 cm long and 4-10 mm wide, breaking up below each fertile floret. Glumes similar, lanceolate, membranous, acuminate, the lower 10-15 mm and the upper 11-17 mm long. Lemmas imbricate, oblong, 12-20 mm long and 3-7 mm wide, chartaceous, thinner on the margings, keeled and 9-13-nerved, scaberulous; tip 2-fid with an subapical awn of 1-9 mm long.
Distribution West Africa: introduced in Cape Verde.
Distribution world-wide: South American species, introduced in Europe, C,E and southern Africa, Asia, Australia, North America.