Botanical name: Megathyrsus maximus    Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
Synonyms: Panicum maximum, Urochloa maxima, Panicum laeve

Guinea grass is a densely clustered perennial grass with stems 0.8-3 m tall, erect or rising up, often branched, the nodes usually bearded. Leaf-blades are linear, 10-60 cm long, 0.4-2 cm wide, flat, hairless, long-tapering to a fine point; lowermost sheaths strongly compressed and keeled. Flower panicles are ovate, 10-45 cm long, contracted or open, the branches mostly bare in the lower half, the lowermost prominently whorled. Spikelets are oblong, 2.5-3.6 mm long, hairless or shortly and densely velvet-hairy, pointed or subblunt; lower glume round, hyaline, a quarter to a third the length of the spikelet, rounded or shortly pointed, 1-3-nerved or sometimes almost nerveless; upper glume 5-7-nerved; lower lemma 5-7-nerved, its palea almost as long; upper lemma pallid, rugulose. Guinea grass is native to Tropical & S. Africa. It was introduced in India as a fodder grass, and is now naturalized. It is also found in East Himalaya. Flowering: June-October.
Medicinal uses: Guinea grass is used in the treatment of heartburn and tympanitis. Sap from the crushed fresh plant is used as a cicatrisant on wounds and sores. The grass is tied around the head in order to bring relief from a headache.

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The flower labeled Guinea Grass is ...