Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Guinea grass or buffalo grass or green panic (Panicum maximum) is a plant species in Poaceae, annual grasses, growing upright to form clumps, strong, cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions for very high value as fodder.

P. maximum reproduces in very large pols, fibrous roots penetrate into the soil, upright stems, green, 1-1.5 m tall and have smooth cavities for diameters up to 2.5 mm. Propagation is done vegetatively and generatively.

Ribbon-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, very many, built in lines, green, 40-105 cm long, 10-30 mm wide, erect, branched, a white linear bone, often covered with a layer of white wax, rough surface by hair short, dense and spread.

The flower grows at the end of a long and upright stalk, open with the main axis length to more than 25 cm and the length of the bunches down to 20 cm. Grains have a size of 3x4 mm and oval. Seeds have a length of 2.25-2.50 mm and each 1 kg contains 1.2 - 1.5 million seeds.

Guinea grass has two varieties. Panicum maximum var. pubiglume to 1.5-4.2 m high, dark green leaves and fine stem segments. Panicum maximum var. trichoglume has a height of 1.0 m. Both varieties are used as one of the best grass species for beef cattle productivity.

Buffalo grass has a very good adaptation, grows up to an altitude of 1200 m in rocky landscaping with thin sand layers, poorly drained soil, tolerant to dry conditions, tolerant to shade and still produces normally at 30-50% light intensity.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Tribe: Paniceae
Genus: Panicum
Species: Panicum maximum
Varieties: Panicum maximum var. pubiglume, Panicum maximum var. trichoglume

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