View source for Megathyrsus maximus

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Megathyrsus maximus
|accepted_authority=(Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs
|publications=
|common_names=Guinea grass
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Poaceae;Poaceae subfam. Panicoideae;Poaceae tribe Paniceae;Megathyrsus;Megathyrsus maximus
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Poaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Poaceae subfam. Panicoideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>tribe</small>[[Poaceae tribe Paniceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Megathyrsus]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>species</small>[[Megathyrsus maximus]]</div></div>
|volume=Volume 25
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties=""><b>Plants </b>perennial;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="whole_organism duration;whole_organism growth form;whole_organism growth form;rhizome height or length or size;rhizome width">cespitose, with short, thick rhizomes.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="culm height;culm height;culm thickness;culm orientation;culm shape;culm architecture"><b>Culms </b>(60) 100-250 cm tall, about 10 mm thick, mostly erect, sometimes geniculate and rooting at the lower nodes;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="node pubescence;node pubescence">nodes pubescent or glabrous.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="sheath height or length or size;sheath pubescence;sheath pubescence;hair architecture;margin architecture or pubescence or shape"><b>Sheaths </b>usually shorter than the internodes, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes with papillose-based hairs, margins sometimes ciliate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="collar pubescence;hair fixation or orientation;hair arrangement">collars densely pubescent, hairs appressed or divergent;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="ligule some measurement">ligules 1-3 mm;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="blade length;blade length;blade width;blade prominence or shape;blade orientation;blade orientation;blade pubescence;blade pubescence;hair fixation or orientation;hair architecture;margin pubescence or relief;margin architecture or pubescence or shape;midvein prominence;midvein prominence;midvein coloration">blades (15) 30-75 (100) cm long, 10-35 mm wide, flat, erect or ascending, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes with appressed papillose-based hairs, margins scabrous, sometimes ciliate basally, midveins conspicuous, sunken, whitish.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="panicle some measurement;panicle quantity;panicle length or size;panicle architecture;rachis architecture or pubescence or relief;rachis pubescence or relief"><b>Panicles </b>20-65 cm, about 1/3 as wide as long, open, rachises smooth or scabrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="primary branch quantity;primary branch some measurement;axis width;axis architecture;axis orientation;axis arrangement;axis pubescence;upper axil pubescence;lower branch architecture">primary branches usually more than 20, 12-40 cm, axes 0.4-0.6 mm wide, not winged, ascending, those of the lower node (s) verticillate and pilose at the base, upper axils glabrous, lower branches naked basally;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="secondary and tertiary branch development">secondary and tertiary branches well-developed;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="pedicel some measurement;pedicel size;pedicel course;pedicel course;pedicel pubescence;pedicel pubescence;hair quantity;hair shape">pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm, unequal, straight or curved, glabrous or with a single setaceous hair near the apex.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="spikelet length;spikelet width;spikelet shape;spikelet pubescence;spikelet architecture or arrangement or growth form;spikelet arrangement;spikelet fixation or orientation"><b>Spikelets </b>2.7-3.6 mm long, 0.9-1.1 mm wide, oblong-ellipsoid, usually glabrous (rarely densely covered with papillose-based hairs), solitary, paired (or in triplets), usually appressed to the branch axes.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="glume arrangement;between glumes rachillum prominence"><b>Glumes </b>scarcely separate, rachilla between the glumes not pronounced;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties="lower glume some measurement;lower glume architecture;lower glume shape;lower glume shape;lower glume pubescence">lower glumes 0.8-1.2 mm, 1-3-veined, obtuse or truncate, glabrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="upper glume some measurement;upper glume architecture;upper glume pubescence">upper glumes 2.1-3.5 mm, 5-veined, glabrous;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s16" data-properties="lower lemma some measurement;lower lemma size;lower lemma pubescence;lower lemma architecture;lower lemma shape;lower lemma shape;lower lemma shape;vein shape">lower lemmas 2.1-3.5 mm, subequal, glabrous, 5-veined, without cross venation, acute, muticous or mucronate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s17" data-properties="lower floret architecture">lower florets staminate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s18" data-properties="upper lemma some measurement;upper lemma shape;upper lemma coloration;upper lemma pubescence;apex shape;apex shape">upper lemmas 1.9-2.4 mm, ellipsoid, pale, glabrous, apices acute, mucronulate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s19" data-properties="anther some measurement;2n chromosome quantity;2n chromosome quantity;2n chromosome quantity;2n chromosome quantity;2n chromosome quantity">anthers 1.2-2.2 mm. <b>2n</b> = 18, 32, 36, 44, 48.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|discussion=<p>Megathyrsus maximus is an important forage grass that is native to Africa. In the Flora region, it grows in fields, waste places, stream banks, and hammocks. It is cultivated widely as a forage grass at low elevations, especially near the coast, and often escapes.</p><!--
--><p>There are usually two varieties recognized. Only Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) R.D. Webster var. maxima, which has glabrous spikelets, is known in the Flora area. Specimens with densely pubescent spikelets belong to U. maxima var. trichoglumis (Robyns) R.D. Webster.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Megathyrsus maximus
|authority=(Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs
|rank=species
|parent rank=genus
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Poaceae
|illustrator=Linda A. Vorobik;Cindy Roché
|illustration copyright=Utah State University
|reference=None
|publication title=
|publication year=
|special status=
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V25/V25_1333.xml
|subfamily=Poaceae subfam. Panicoideae
|tribe=Poaceae tribe Paniceae
|genus=Megathyrsus
|species=Megathyrsus maximus
|2n chromosome quantity=48;44;36;32;18
|anther some measurement=1.2mm;2.2mm
|apex shape=mucronulate;acute
|axis architecture=not winged
|axis arrangement=verticillate
|axis orientation=ascending
|axis pubescence=pilose
|axis width=0.4mm;0.6mm
|between glumes rachillum prominence=not pronounced
|blade length=30cm;75cm
|blade orientation=ascending;erect
|blade prominence or shape=flat
|blade pubescence=pubescent;glabrous
|blade width=10mm;35mm
|collar pubescence=pubescent
|culm architecture=rooting
|culm height=100cm;250cm
|culm orientation=erect
|culm shape=geniculate
|culm thickness=10
|glume arrangement=separate
|hair architecture=papillose-based;papillose-based
|hair arrangement=divergent
|hair fixation or orientation=appressed;appressed
|hair quantity=single
|hair shape=setaceous
|ligule some measurement=1mm;3mm
|lower branch architecture=naked
|lower floret architecture=staminate
|lower glume architecture=1-3-veined
|lower glume pubescence=glabrous
|lower glume shape=truncate;obtuse
|lower glume some measurement=0.8mm;1.2mm
|lower lemma architecture=5-veined
|lower lemma pubescence=glabrous
|lower lemma shape=mucronate;muticous;acute
|lower lemma size=subequal
|lower lemma some measurement=2.1mm;3.5mm
|margin architecture or pubescence or shape=ciliate;ciliate
|margin pubescence or relief=scabrous
|midvein coloration=whitish
|midvein prominence=sunken;conspicuous
|node pubescence=glabrous;pubescent
|panicle architecture=open
|panicle length or size=long
|panicle quantity=1/3
|panicle some measurement=20cm;65cm
|pedicel course=curved;straight
|pedicel pubescence=with a single setaceous hair;glabrous
|pedicel size=unequal
|pedicel some measurement=0.5mm;1.5mm
|primary branch some measurement=12cm;40cm
|rachis architecture or pubescence or relief=smooth
|rachis pubescence or relief=scabrous
|rhizome height or length or size=short
|rhizome width=thick
|secondary and tertiary branch development=well-developed
|sheath height or length or size=usually shorter
|sheath pubescence=pubescent;glabrous
|spikelet architecture or arrangement or growth form=solitary
|spikelet arrangement=paired
|spikelet fixation or orientation=appressed
|spikelet length=2.7mm;3.6mm
|spikelet pubescence=glabrous
|spikelet shape=oblong-ellipsoid
|spikelet width=0.9mm;1.1mm
|upper axil pubescence=glabrous
|upper glume architecture=5-veined
|upper glume pubescence=glabrous
|upper glume some measurement=2.1mm;3.5mm
|upper lemma coloration=pale
|upper lemma pubescence=glabrous
|upper lemma shape=ellipsoid
|upper lemma some measurement=1.9mm;2.4mm
|vein shape=cross
|whole_organism duration=perennial
|whole_organism growth form=plant;cespitose
}}<!--

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