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Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu
grass) Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales
> Family: Poaceae > Genus:
Pennisetum
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Pennisetum clandestinum, Ndundu Lodge,
Vumba, Zimbabwe. [photos Bart Wursten ©,
Flora
of Zimbabwe] |
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Kikuyu grass pasture (foreground) on dairy farm
near Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal. [photo
H.G.
Robertson, Iziko ©] |
Kikuyu grass is native to East Africa (Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi) and has been introduced to southern
Africa as a lawn and pasture grass. It grows in areas with relatively high
rainfall and prefers fertile, well-drained soils. It is regarded as a good
pasture grass because it is palatable, digestable, high in protein, low in
fibre, responds well to fertilization, and is able to withstand heavy grazing.
However, it has also become an invasive grass in certain natural areas of
southern Africa. In garden situations it grows rapidly into flower beds and
infiltrates into cracks between walls and paving, so it is often not favoured as
a lawn grass in these situations.
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