Morphological characteristics
Perennial (2n=48) or annual (2n=24), erect grass of two morphological types, which correspond to two cytological types (2n=24 and 2n=48). Both morphological types have soft and splits (when dry) ligule >3 mm; panicles open, basal panicle branches widely spreading; spikelets of diploid race (2n=28) >5.5 mm long and <2.3 mm wide, tetraploid race (2n=48) <5.5 mm long and >2.3 mm wide; awns of both races usually >3 cm long; anthers 1.5-3.2 mm long.
Chromosome number
2n=2x=24 and 2n=4x=48
Genome
BB and BBCC
Distribution
Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Habitat
Diploid race is found in open or semi-open habitats, such as forest margins, grassland and thickets, degraded mopane scrub, open bush or shifting cultivation fields, and rice fields; tetraploid race is found in semi-open or shaded habitats of forest margins and forests. Both races grow in swampy areas, around water holes and pools, on riverbanks that flood to 1 m depth. Both races prefer back clay or sandy soil.
