Description:

• Perennial or annual, tufted, rhizomatous
• Leaf blade narrowly linear, expanded; ligule an unfringed or a fringed membrane
• Inflorescence a solitary, spike-like raceme, terminal or in axils, sometimes loosely aggregated into a false leafy panicle; racemes linear with spikelet pairs in lower quarter or three-quarters homogamous (alike in sex and shape), spikelet pairs in upper portion heterogamous (differing in sex and shape); internodes linear; spikelets paired, one sessile, the other pedicelled but pedicel reduced to short stump, spikelets being supported on a long callus
• Sessile spikelet 5.5-11 mm long, subterete to terete, coriaceous; glumes ± equal, dissimilar, awnless; lower glume linear, obtuse, flat or rounded on back, hairy; upper glume linear, acute, prominently keeled
• Florets 2, lower floret reduced to a lemma, hyaline, awnless; upper floret bisexual or female in heterogamous pair, or sterile in homogamous pair; lemma less firm than glumes, hyaline at base, entire, stipiform, passing into a stout hairy, geniculate awn; callus long, pungent, hairy; palea 0
• Lodicules large or somewhat reduced
• Stamens 0-3
• Ovary oblong, glabrous; styles plumose
• Caryopsis lanceolate, channelled on one side

• Pedicelled spikelet lanceolate, dorsally flattened, somewhat asymmetrical, larger than sessile spikelet, male or sterile, awnless, with long slender callus functioning as a pedicel, true pedicel reduced to a stump
• x = 10 (11) (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Heteropogon Pers.
  • Persoon: 533 (1807)
  • Stapf: 350 (1898) under Andropogon L.
  • Stent: 252 (1924)
  • Chippindall: 492 (1955)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 825 (1982)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 359 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 178 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 457 (1994)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 6, tropical and subtropical regions
• Southern Africa: Species 2: Heteropogon contortus (L.) Roem. & Schult., widespread, and H. melanocarpus (Ell.) Benth., Namibia, Botswana and northern parts of Northern Province