General Information

COMMON NAMES: Mascarene Grass, Korean Velvet Grass, Velvet Grass GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mascarene Islands (e.Asia) COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent (c.1992), Vegetative only; S.Group only (RR only uncommon); Land, lowlands, lawns SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Lawn grass (+) KEY FEATURES: Low, turf-forming, perennial grass. LEAVES dark green, short and slender (to 50x2mm), tip firmly sharp. Propagated by cuttings and plugs. SIMILAR SPECIES: Korean Lawn Grass (Zoysia japonica) and Manila Grass (Zoysia matrella) but these both have leaf-blades flat (vs deeply grooved), to 10cm-or-more (vs. to 5cm). Neither is presently recorded in the Cook Islands.

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			-

Zoysia tenuifolia Willd.
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); LILIOPSIDA (=Monocotyledones); COMMELINIDAE; Cyperales; POACEAE

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Lawn grass (+). Comments: Drought resistent, prevents weed growth, and requires minimal maintenance.

IDENTIFICATION: Low, creeping, turf-forming, perennial grass. LEAVES dark green, deep-grooved, slender, 50x2mm, tip sharp and firm. FLOWERS raceme terminal, spikelike; spikelets compressed, 1-flower. Propagated by cuttings and plugs.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: fieldspecimen, 4/2000, GMcC, ID Rhys Gardner as Zoysia japonica, re-ID GMcC as Zoysia tenuifolia 9/2002.

References:
p.67 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.1185 Hortus 3rd
p.1233 Royal Hort. Soc. Index of Garden Plants

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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