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:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- green, purple
Host Plant for Caterpillars
withered mocis (Mocis marcida)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the base following fire; commonly used in tropical pastures where fire is a management tool.
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
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily with warm temperatures and moisture. Light may enhance germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI