Poaceae
Zoysia

Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr.

First published in Philipp. J. Sci., C 7: 230 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Asia to NW. Pacific. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Stolons present. Culms prostrate; 5-25 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or involute; 2-10 cm long; 1-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; multilateral; 0.6-3.5 cm long. Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate to ovate; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate to ovate; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Upper glume lanceolate to ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2-2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.4 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, western South America, and Brazil.
Reference
Cynodonteae. WDC 1996.
[GB]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Caquetá, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Norte de Santander, Quindío, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Sucre, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Low sod-forming perennial with flowering culms up to 18 cm tall from creeping rhizomes
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf-sheaths with hyaline margins and sometimes a few cilia; ligule minute
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades capillary-involute, up to 8 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a few-flowered terminal spike; spikelets 2–2.3 mm long; first glume absent, the second glume firm, acute to short awned, enclosing the membranous lemma, palea absent.
Ecology
Roadsides and lawns
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Introduced from the Asiatic tropics to Florida and the West Indies as a lawn grass, it has persisted and often become naturalized.
[Cayman]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0