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guinea grass
noun
: a tall African forage grass (Panicum maximum) introduced into tropical America and the southern U.S.
Examples of guinea grass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tens of thousands of acres where sugar cane and pineapples once grew have become overgrown with invasive vegetation, such as fountain and guinea grasses that can ignite easily and burn for weeks.
—Darryl Fears, Allyson Chiu and Elahe Izadi, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Sep. 2023
Nonnative plants, such as guinea grass and fountain grass, quickly took over.
—Christopher Flavelle, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023
One nonnative species — guinea grass — can grow 6 inches in a day, according to Walker, the fire protection forester, who spoke about the problem during an April videoconference.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
When burned, guinea grass can produce 20-foot flames.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2023
Of all of the invasive plants now thriving on the islands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture points to 18 specifically that contribute to Hawaii’s wildfire risk, including buffel grass, molasses grass, and especially guinea grass.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 17 Aug. 2023
Without farmers tending that land, nonnative brushes such as guinea grass, molasses grass and buffel grass moved in.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2023
Foreigners also brought new plants, replacing native vegetation with invasive species like fountain and guinea grasses, which have evolved to burn.
—Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2023
Drought levels in Hawaii Dry vegetation: The spread of invasive plants such as guinea grass and fountain grass have helped spread fires.
—Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
1756, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near guinea grass
Cite this Entry
“Guinea grass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guinea%20grass. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on guinea grass
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guinea grass
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