Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach)
ElephantGrass
This plant is also known as meker grass, napiergrass, Uganda grass etc. Several other names has been given to it depending on the region and culture of the people.
Elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) is of African Origin native to humid tropical African regions. It belongs to the grass family. This plant has the ability to grow without much manure input and is outstanding for continuous production of grass. This grass, like other grasses has the potentials to interact with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and can grow without the addition of external nitrogen.
I captured this grass in the morning with my phone camera admiring its horizontal orientations of the stems and leaves. This orientation is basically observed at early growth stage of the plant.
This grass at maturity provides an incredible shelter for small mammals and reptiles. In my village hunters lay trap inside it in view to capturing bush meats.
However this grass is extensively used as hay foliages for herbivorous animal such as goats and cows.
Indeed, Elephantgrass is an exclusively gift of nature to mankind for nitrogen fixation to improve crop yield and for animal production just to mention but a few of its uses. The uses of this plant is incredibly great. I like it