Zoysia matrella

Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr., Philipp. J. Sci., C 7: 230 1912. (syn: Agrostis matrella L.; Matrella juncea Pers.; Milium maritimum J.Koenig ex Steud. [Invalid]; Milium matrella (L.) Poir. ex Steud. [Invalid]; Osterdamia matrella (L.) Kuntze; Osterdamia pungens (Willd.) Baill.; Osterdamia tenuifolia (Trin.) Kuntze; Osterdamia zoysia Honda [Illegitimate]; Osterdamia zoysia var. tenuifolia (Willd. ex Trin.) Honda; Panicum bradypus Bory ex T.Durand & Schinz [Invalid]; Panicum crinum-ursi Bory ex Steud. [Invalid]; Rottboellia uniflora A.Cunn. [Invalid]; Zoysia aristata C.Muell.; Zoysia griffithiana C.Muell.; Zoysia malaccensis Gand.; Zoysia matrella var. matrella ; Zoysia matrella subsp. tenuifolia (Willd. ex Trin.) T.Koyama; Zoysia matrella var. tenuifolia (Willd. ex Trin.) T.Koyama; Zoysia pungens Willd.; Zoysia pungens var. tenuifolia (Willd. ex Trin.) T.Durand & Schinz; Zoysia serrulata Mez; Zoysia setacea Nees ex Steud. [Invalid]);

Trop. & Subtrop. Asia to NW. Pacific: Bangladesh, Borneo, Caroline Is., China Southeast, Cocos (Keeling) Is., Hainan, India, Jawa, Korea, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Marianas, Marshall Is., Myanmar, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Philippines, Queensland, Solomon Is., South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam; Introduced into: Alabama, Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burkina, Christmas I., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Florida, Georgia, Ghana, Gulf of Guinea Is., Haiti, Hawaii, Ivory Coast, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Madagascar, Maldives, Marquesas, Mauritius, Mexico Southwest, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rodrigues, Réunion, Samoa, Society Is., Togo, Tokelau-Manihiki, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is. as per POWO;

Alabama; Bahamas; Bangladesh; Bermuda; Borneo; Brazil Southeast; Brazil West-Central; Burkina; Caroline Is.; China Southeast; Christmas I.; Cocos (Keeling) Is.; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Fiji; Florida; Georgia; Ghana; Gulf of Guinea Is.; Hainan; Haiti; Hawaii; India; Ivory Coast; Japan; Jawa; Korea; Laos; Leeward Is.; Lesser Sunda Is.; Louisiana; Madagascar; Malaya; Maldives; Maluku; Marianas; Marquesas; Marshall Is.; Mauritius; Mexico Southwest; Myanmar; Nansei-shoto; New Guinea; New Mexico; Nicaragua; Nicobar Is.; Nigeria; North Carolina; Ogasawara-shoto; Philippines; Puerto Rico; Queensland; Rodrigues; Runion; Samoa; Society Is.; Solomon Is.; South China Sea; Sri Lanka; Sulawesi; Sumatera; Taiwan; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad-Tobago; Tubuai Is.; Vietnam as per Catalogue of Life;
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Common name: Manila Grass, Temple grass, Japanese carpet

Annual herbs; culms erect, to 10 cm long, to 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths 0.5-1 cm; ligule membranous, fimbriate, 0.5 mm; blades linear, 1-2.5 cm, rigid, convolute, base pilose. Raceme spiciform, solitary, to 2.5 cm. Spikelets ovoid, 2.5-3 mm, spiral, laterally compressed, 1-flowered, articulate on stout pedicel, appressed to rachis; pedicel to 0.5 mm; glume 1, coriaceous; lower glume 0; upper glume ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-3 mm, indurated, obscurely 3- nerved, somewhat apiculate; lemma lanceolate, to 2 mm, hyaline; palea narrow, to 1 mm. Anthers 3, to 1.5 mm. Caryopsis oblong-ovoid, to 1.5 mm, free within lemma and glume.

Flowering and fruiting: March-September

Banks of backwaters, streams and lakes, and mangrove forests

Indo-Malesia, Australia and Mauritius
(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi from India Biodiversity Portal)
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