Scleria racemosa Poir.

Robust perennial sedge, 1-3.5 m tall, growing from a creeping rhizome. leaves ligulate, up to 60 cm long and 1-3 cm wide; basal sheeths and margins razor-sharpe. Inflorescences of one terminal and 3-6 lateral panicles, elliptic to lanceolate in outline. Male spikelets 5-6 mm long; glumes straw-coloured with reddish-brown dots; minutely hairy. Female spikelets 7-9 mm long; glumes strawcoloured or pale brown with dark reddish marks, whole spikelt falling with fruit. Nutlet ovoid, 4-5 mm long, smooth and hairless, white, tinged pinkish-brown. Hypigonium cup-shaped, 4-5 mm wide, yellowish-brown above, dark reddish-brown below; margin with many close-set whitish, yellowish or reddish-brown hairs.

Angola, DRC, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.