Skip to content
sintropia.club
PT EN

Plants

Mombaça grass

Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs

Family: Poaceae · Genus: Megathyrsus

Guinea grass, Tanzania grass

Placenta II Low Mulch biomass 🪓 Coppices after cutting
Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

Highly productive forage grass producing large amounts of cover biomass. Central in large-scale syntropic experiments (Rebello & Sakamoto 2019) — cut 3–5× per crop cycle between tree rows to provide permanent soil cover.

📚 Synonyms

Scientific synonyms: Panicum maximum Jacq., Urochloa maxima (Jacq.) R.D.Webster

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Low
Strata
Low, Ground cover
Biomass class
Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Low
Soil pH range
4.7–8
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Clayey, Sandy

Morphology

Mature height
1.5–2.5 m
Recommended spacing
0.5–1 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Medium
Growth rate
Very fast

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Mombaça grass takes the Low stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

Design my guild

Free account — and the catalog stays open, no sign-up needed.

Emergent High Medium Low · ≈3 m Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Prefers well-drained, moist, fertile soils; tolerates low pH and high aluminium saturation where drainage is good. Grows well in full sun but yields well under up to ~30% shade (yield drops ~50% at 50% shade) — useful between agroforestry rows. Needs annual rainfall above ~1,000 mm; the short-rhizome tussock regrows vigorously after cutting.

✂️ Management & Pruning

Cut close to the clump several times per cycle (3–5× in syntropic systems), chopping and leaving the mulch on the row. Does not tolerate drought beyond 4–5 months.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What spacing is recommended for Mombaça grass?

The recommended spacing for Mombaça grass is 0.5–1 m.

How tall does Mombaça grass grow?

At maturity, Mombaça grass reaches 1.5–2.5 m tall.

What stage and stratum does Mombaça grass occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, Mombaça grass belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the low stratum.

Functions

🌿 Biomass producer Ground cover Fodder

Propagation

Seed, Division

Citations

  1. Rebello & Sakamoto (2019) — Agricultura Sintrópica em Larga Escala (biomass_class, growth_rate)
  2. Tropical Forages — Megathyrsus maximus (ph_min, ph_max, drought_tolerance, waterlogging_tolerance, light_need, cultivation_notes, pruning_notes)
  3. Feedipedia — Guinea grass (Panicum maximum, Megathyrsus maximus) (root_system, drought_tolerance, waterlogging_tolerance, cultivation_notes, synonyms)
  4. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Megathyrsus maximus (gbif_taxon_key, genus, family)

External references

Continue exploring

Related plants