Anthistiria heteroclita Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. 1: 253. 1820; Andropogon heteroclitus (Roxburgh) Nees; Hypogynium heter-oclitum (Roxburgh) Roberty; Pseudanthistiria hispida J. D. Hooker; Sorghum heteroclitum (Roxburgh) Kuntze.

Culms slender, geniculate at base, 30–50 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous or hispid near margins; leaf blades linear, 8–15 × 0.3–0.5 cm, veins distinct, hispid with tuberculate-based hairs on both surfaces, base subrounded, apex acuminate. Compound panicle 10–30 cm; spatheoles lanceolate, 7–12 mm, setose near margins, the hairs arising from conspicuous, sometimes dark-colored tubercles, apex finely acuminate. Racemes with 1–2 spikelet pairs and a terminal triad. Sessile spikelet linear-oblong, 3–4.5 mm; lower glume firmly membranous, shallowly convex, scaberulous or puberulous toward apex varying to appressed-pubescent throughout; upper lemma longerthan glumes; awn 2–3 cm, column pubescent. Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, 4.5–5.5 mm, lower glume loosely setose with tuberculate-based hairs near apex. Fl. and fr. Sep–Dec.

This species has apparently been collected only once in China, by Hance in Hong Kong in 1862, and was probably a chance introduction.

Open hillsides, disturbed places. Hong Kong [India].