Morphological characteristics
Annual and erect to semi-erect grass; leaves with short ligule (<13 mm); panicles compact to open, rarely having secondary branching; spikelets large, 7.7-12.3 mm long and 2.3-3.5 mm wide, with strong awns (up to 20 cm long), usually red; anthers 1.5-3 mm long.
Chromosome number
2n=2x=24
Genome
AA
Distribution
Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Habitat
Found in mopane or savanna woodland, savanna or fadama. Grows in deep water, seasonally flooded land, stagnant water, and slowly flowing water or pools; prefers clay or black cotton soils. Found in open habitats.
