光头黍 guang tou shu

Perennial, tufted. Culms erect or ascending from a knotty base, 15–100 cm tall. Leaves basal and cauline; leaf sheaths glabrous, pilose or hispid; ligule 0.5–1 mm, a ciliolate membrane; leaf blades linear, flat, 7–30 × 0.5–1 cm, glabrous or pilose, base straight to amplexicaul, apex acute or acuminate. Panicle ovate in outline, 4–30 cm, much branched; branches ascending or spreading, the spikelets evenly spread or clustered on the branches. Spikelets ovate-elliptic, 2–3 mm, glabrous, acute; lower glume broadly ovate, 1/4–1/3 length of spikelet, 1–3-veined, acute to acuminate; upper glume ovate, as long as spikelet, 7–9-veined, acute; lower floret staminate, lemma similar to upper glume, palea well developed; upper floret pale yellow or brown, smooth, shiny.

Introduced for pasture [native to tropical and subtropical Africa; introduced elsewhere].