guinea grass 羊草
Guinea \Guin"ea\ (g[i^]n"[-e]), n.
1. A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for
its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea
fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named.
2. A gold coin of England current for twenty-one shillings
sterling, or about five dollars, but not coined since the
issue of sovereigns in 1817.
The guinea, so called from the Guinea gold out of
which it
was first struck, was proclaimed in 1663, and to go
for twenty shillings; but it never went for less
than twenty-one shillings. --Pinkerton.
{Guinea corn}. (Bot.) See {Durra}.
{Guinea Current} (Geog.), a current in the Atlantic Ocean
setting southwardly into the Bay of Benin on the coast of
Guinea.
{Guinea dropper} one who cheats by dropping counterfeit
guineas. [Obs.] --Gay.
{Guinea fowl}, {Guinea hen} (Zo["o]l.), an African
gallinaceous bird, of the genus {Numida}, allied to the
pheasants. The common domesticated species ({Numida
meleagris}), has a colored fleshy horn on each aide of the
head, and is of a dark gray color, variegated with small
white spots. The crested Guinea fowl ({Numida cristata})
is a finer species.
{Guinea grains} (Bot.), grains of Paradise, or amomum. See
{Amomum}.
{Guinea grass} (Bot.), a tall strong forage grass ({Panicum
jumentorum}) introduced. from Africa into the West Indies
and Southern United States.
{Guinea-hen flower} (Bot.), a liliaceous flower ({Fritillaria
Meleagris}) with petals spotted like the feathers of the
Guinea hen.
{Guinea peach}. See under {Peach}.
{Guinea pepper} (Bot.), the pods of the {Xylopia aromatica},
a tree of the order {Anonace[ae]}, found in tropical West
Africa. They are also sold under the name of {Piper
[AE]thiopicum}.
{Guinea plum} (Bot.), the fruit of {Parinarium excelsum}, a
large West African tree of the order {Chrysobalane[ae]},
having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum,
which is also called {gray plum} and {rough-skin plum}.
{Guinea worm} (Zo["o]l.), a long and slender African nematoid
worm ({Filaria Medinensis}) of a white color. It lives in
the cellular tissue of man, beneath the skin, and produces
painful sores.