Description:
Perennial grass. Culms tufted, 60-200 cm high.
Leaves linear, tapering to an acute or acuminate apex, + pubescent, with sheath-auricles up to
4 mm long, 10-50 cm by 1-8 mm. Inflorescence of loose, false panicle of racemes exserted from
linear bract. Raceme pilose to villous, 3-10 cm long. Spikelets paired, one sessile, the other
pedicelled. Sessile spikelet up to 8 mm long, upper glume and upper lemma awned, awn 1-3 cm
long. Pedicelled spikelet 4-7 mm long, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 2-awned.Reproduced by seeds.
Blooming period : January-April.
Habitat:
Common on hill slope, waste land, old clearing.
Distribution:
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical,
southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia and China. Asia-tropical:
India and Indo-China.
Uses:
Average grazing value, utilized at a young age and then becomes unpalatable as the plant matures.
