Description:
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A weak annual. Culms 40-150 cm. tall, 3-5-noded, solitary, or in small tufts, simple, erect or ascending from a geniculate base, terete, smooth, usually glabrous. Leaf-sheaths striate, dorsally rounded, the inferior often pilose, smooth. Ligule up to 6 mm. long, membranous, obtuse. Leaf-laminae 10-50 x 0.3-1.6 cm., linear to lanceolate-linear, tapering to a fine point, expanded, vivid green, glabrous or rarely scattered pilose, scaberulous on both surfaces. Panicle 10-45 cm. long, up to 20 cm. in diameter, usually nodding, open and loose, pyramidal; branches usually clustered, rarely solitary (except the upper ones), spreading, filiform, loosely branched, scaberulous. Spikelets 18-30 mm. long, 2-3-flowered (with a reduced terminal floret), narrowly oblong to obtriangular-oblong in outline, gaping, pendulous. Glumes equal to slightly unequal, 7-11-nerved, somewhat cross-veined, lanceolate, with the apex acute. Lemmas 14-20 mm. long, 7-9-nerved, all awned, lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, with the apex 2-4-dentate, stiffly pilose towards the base, scaberulous towards the apex, densely bearded at the insertion; awn up to 4.25 cm. long, inserted around the middle of the lemma, dark brown below, green or yellowish towards the apex. Palea densely ciliate along the keels. Anthers c. 3 mm. long. Caryopsis 6-8 mm. long, tightly enclosed between the hardened lemma and the palea. |
| Literature:
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Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 74 - 75. (Includes a picture).
Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 100.
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