Slender annual with few–many stems and a small root system; stems 5–20 cm long and 0.5–1.5 mm thick, triangular or 6-angular, green, glabrous. Leaf-blades present, usually short, up to 10 cm long and 0.5–3 mm wide; leaf-sheaths light reddish brown to purple, glabrous. Inflorescence an open anthela 3–10 cm in diam.; major involucral bract leafy, 2–10 cm long, usually longer than the inflorescence; largest inflorescence-branches 0.5–5 cm long, carrying 1 sessile and several stalked groups of digitately arranged spikelets. Spikelets 2–12 x 0.8–1.3 mm, linear-lanceolate, green or reddish brown. Glumes 1–1.3 mm long, truncate, reddish brown with a paler midrib excurrent in a short recurved mucro. Stamens 2. Style 3-branched. Nutlet 0.4–0.5 x 0.25–0.3 mm, obovate, whitish or pale brown with large rectangular surface cells with raised cell-walls.
Range
S2, 3 widespread in the Old World tropics.
Altitude range
below 100 m.
Distribution
SOMALIA Senni 81; Ciferri s.n.
Notes
The specimens above have not been seen by the author, but were cited as this species in Cuf. Enum.: 1439 (1970). The record therefore needs confirmation.
