Guineagrass
Megathyrsus maximus
- Native to:
- Aldabra, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Mozambique Channel Is., Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, Réunion, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
A. S. Hitchcock, Pricipal Botanist, Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry, USDA.
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Poaceae
- Genus:
- Megathyrsus
- Species:
- Megathyrsus maximus
- USDA Symbol:
- URMA3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Graminoid
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
Host Plant for Caterpillars
withered mocis (Mocis marcida)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously after fire; can increase in abundance with frequent fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to tropical and subtropical regions
Propagation & Germination
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm, moist soil without pretreatment.