Global description
Sacciolepis africana is a vivacious herbaceous grass of flooded rice paddies that can also be found in shallow water where the roots form a dense mass. Spongy stubble, rooting at the nodes, 50 to 150 cm high. Occurs in swamps and shallow waters.
General habit
Glabrous vivacious grass with rhizomes and spongy thatch, rooting at lower nodes and can reach up to 2 m high.
Culm
The culms and rhizomes are robust swollen, spongy at the base but slender at the top.
Leaf
The leaf blade measure about 10 to 30 cm by 0.5 to 1.5 cm, it is wider in the middle and narrowly tapered towards the apex, the base is broadened, the faces are glabrous the margin is scabrous. The leaf sheath is smooth, the ligule is membranous, short, pale, crescent-shaped and well individualized.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a solitary and terminal spike, green, 7 to 30 cm long.
Spikelet
Spikelets, glabrous, 3 mm long showing a blunt top.