Pacific Temple Grass

This grass has been widely known as Zoysia tenuifolia Thiele, but the type specimens of that name belong taxonomically to Z. matrella.

This fine-leaved, densely growing, low grass forms excellent lawns and is grown in gardens in S and SE China.

Perennial, stoloniferous, forming a low dense sward. Culms 5–10 cm tall, much branched. Leaf sheaths glabrous, bearded at mouth with 2–5 mm hairs; leaf blades setaceous, soft, 4–6 cm, ca. 1 mm wide. Inflorescence linear, up to 1.5 cm; spikelets 6–12, loosely overlapping; rachis somewhat wavy; pedicels shorter than spikelet, up to 1.6 mm, scabrous, slightly widened at apex. Spikelets 2–3 × ca. 0.6 mm, straw colored tinged purplish; lower glume absent; upper glume lanceolate, shiny, obscurely 5-veined, apex subacute, sometimes with subapical awn-point; lemma slightly shorter than upper glume, 1-veined; palea absent. Anthers 0.6–0.8 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug–Dec. 2n = 40*.

Rocky and coral beaches. Taiwan [Japan (S Kyushu and Ryukyu Islands), Philippines, Thailand; Pacific Islands].

Zoysia matrella (Linnaeus) Merrill var. pacifica Goudswaard, Blumea 26: 172. 1980.