Megathyrsus maximus
| Megathyrsus maximus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Megathyrsus |
| Species: | M. maximus |
| Binomial name | |
| Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs, 2003 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Panicum hirsutissimum Steud. | |
Megathyrsus maximus, known as Guinea grass and green panic grass in English, is a large perennial bunch grass that is native to Africa, Palestine, and Yemen. It has been introduced in the tropics around the world. Until 2003, it was named Urochloa maxima. It was moved to genus Megathyrsus, which it shares with one other species, M. infestus.[3]
Description
Megathyrsus maximus grows naturally in open grasslands, usually under or near trees and shrubs and along riverbanks. It can withstand wildfire and drought. The species has broad morphological and agronomic variability, ranging in height from 0.5 to 3.5 m (1.6 to 11.5 ft), with 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) stems. The plant also can reproduce through Apomixis effectively cloning itself through seed. Panicles are open, with as many as 9000 seeds per plant.
Uses
It can be used as a long-term foraging grass, if grazed consistently and if fertilized. It is well suited for cut-and-carry, a practice in which grass is harvested and brought to a ruminant animal in an enclosed system. Shade tolerance makes it suited to coexisting with trees in agroforestry. Some varieties have been used successfully for making silage and hay. The leaves contain good levels of protein, 6-25% depending on age and nitrogen supply.
Invasive species
In some places, such as Sri Lanka and Hawai'i, it is considered an invasive weed that suppresses or displaces local native plants and is a fire hazard.[4]
In the Australian state of Queensland, the Queensland Acclimatisation Society introduced Guinea grass to 22 locations between 1865 and 1869.[5]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Megathyrsus maximus. |
Notes
- ↑ "Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2010-01-07.
- ↑ Panicum maximum. Tropical Forages.
- ↑ Megathyrsus. Grass Manual. Flora of North America.
- ↑ Wisumperuma, D. (2007). Guinea grass at Sungei Buloh Nature Park. 219.
- ↑ Clements, R. J. and E. F. Henzell. (2010).Pasture research and development in northern Australia: an ongoing scientific adventure. Tropical Grasslands 44, 221–30.
References
- Wisumperuma, D. (2007). First known record of guinea grass cultivation in Sri Lanka, 1801-1802. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka 53, 219-226.