Juncellus alopecuroides (Rottb.) C.B. Clarke, Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 595. 1893; Rottb., Descr. & Icon.: t. VIII, fig. 2. 1773. Täckholm, Stud. Fl. Egypt: Pl. 292. 1974. Haines & Lye, Sedges and Rushes E. Afr.: fig. 384. 1983.

Caespitose (perennial?), 70-120 cm. Rhizome 0(?). Roots glabrous. Stem 5-7 mm diam., trigonous, green, smooth. Leaves up to as long as stem, stiff below, curved and somewhat flexuous above; sheaths 5-20 cm, brown or greyish, rather soft; blades to c. 15 mm wide, base turgid, somewhat keeled, margins smooth, margins and main nerves towards apex scabrous above, apex long tapering, trigonous, scabrous. Inflorescence a compound anthelodium, to 35 cm; bracts 5-7, foliose, 2-4 longer than inflorescence, to more than 50 cm; primary branches 5-15, to 30 cm, most of them rebranching, secondary anthelodia to 12 cm, longest secondary branches sometimes with small tertiary anthelodium, tubular prophyll to 35 mm, with small leaf blade, to 15 mm; cluster of spikes of 25-c.50 tightly spirally arranged spikes. Spikes c. 5 mm x 3 mm, ovoid, flat, spreading, flat side upwards, glume-like bract c. 2.5 mm, acute, glume-like prophyll bi-nerved, clasping, c. 1 mm; rachis flat, c. 0.3 mm wide, quadrangular, narrowly winged, internodes c. 0.5 mm; glumes 2-2.5 mm, cymbiform, blunt or mucronate, sides with raised nerves, yellowish or grey, with reddish-brown stripes, margins yellowish or pale, scarious. Stamens 2; stigmas 2 or 3. Nut c. 0.5 mm, yellowish brown, bi-convex, slightly flattened, finely reticulate or almost smooth, shiny.

Fl. Per.: April, September. According to Bhandari, Fl. Indian Desert (1990) flowering and fruiting from Oct. to March.

Type: "Arabia, Forskåhl"; not located at C - Hrb. Forsskål.

Swamps, alluvial areas; Distribution: In N. and tropical Africa, Madagascar, Macaronesia; West Indies, Guadeloupe; Pakistan, India, Malaysia, NE Australia.