Zoysia matrella (Manila grass)

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Zoysia matrella is a mat-forming perennial grass native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world. It’s also an ornamental turf grass grown on residential and commercial lawns and golf courses.

Manila grass primarily spreads through stolons and rhizomes, forming dense stands that can overtake native vegetation. 

It is easily identified by its fine texture, slender, prostrate stems, and inflorescence made up of erect racemes of greenish flowers.

Manila Grass Classification

  • Domain: Eukaryota
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Spermatophyta
  • Subphylum: Angiospermae
  • Class: Monocotyledonae
  • Order: Cyperales
  • Family: Poaceae
  • Genus: Zoysia
  • Species: Zoysia matrella
  • Varieties: Zoysia matrella var. matrella, Zoysia matrella var. pacifica
  • Common Names: Japanese carpetgrass, Matrella zoysiagrass, Manila templegrass, Temple grass, Korean LAwngrass, and Siglap grass.

Nativity and Distribution

Zoysia matrella is native to Southeastern Asia, Northern Australasia, and the Cocos island in the Indian Ocean.

Today is naturalized in many areas including:

  • West Africa
  • North America
  • Caribbean
  • South America

Physical Characteristics

Manila grass has slender stems and blades
Manila grass has slender stems and blades. Image: Flickr/asianturfgrass
  • Leaves: Alternate, slender blades 2-10 cm long
  • Fruits: Loosely overlapping yellow to purplish-brown spikelets
  • Stems: Slender, prostrate 5-30 cm in length
  • Flowers: Small greenish flowers on erect racemes
  • Roots: Fibrous root system

Zoysia matrella is a warm-season, mat-forming perennial grass. It is slow-growing and has a finer texture than other Zoysia grasses.

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It is easily identified by its slender, prostrate stems and inflorescence made up of erect racemes of greenish flowers.

The stems are slender, ranging between 5-30 cm in height. The leaves are alternate, light-green, arranged at 1.5-3 cm intervals along the stem and can be curled. Each leaf blade is about 2-10 cm long and 1-3 mm wide.

Manila grass produces small greenish flowers (2-3.5 mm)on spike-like racemes 6-35 mm long. The spikelets (usually 10-30) are loosely overlapping and yellowish to purplish-brown in color.

Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle

  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Seeds: It rarely reproduces by seed
  • Climate: Ideally grows in warm tropical climates
  • Dispersal: Intentional sodding and animals

Z. matrella behaves as a perennial plant that thrives in warm tropical and subtropical climates with hot summers and mild winters. It goes into dormancy in freezing temperatures. 

Additionally, this turf is not recommended for cooler areas as it turns brown when hard hit by frost. Despite these shortcomings, manila grass is well-adapted to shade, high salinity, and drought. 

Since it is an ornamental turf grass, it is intentionally propagated through sodding and plugging. However, the seeds can be dispersed by animals, leading to the colonization of new areas.

Similar Plants 

  • Zoysia japonica
  • Zoysia tenuifolia
  • Zoysia macrantha
  • Cynodon dactylon
  • Sporobolus virginicus

Uses

It is commonly used as an ornamental grass for lawns and golf courses
It is commonly used as an ornamental grass for lawns and golf courses. Image: clemson.edu
  1. It is widely used as an ornamental grass for residential lawns and golf courses. 
  2. It is grown as forage on sandy sites. 
  3. It is used for grazing in coconut plantations.
  4. The grass is grown for soil erosion control and dune stabilization. 
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Impact on Farms and Environment

Manila grass is an important turf grass, popular for its fine texture and dense growth. It also assists in soil erosion control, improves soil structure, and is a good quality grazing forage. 

However, when it escapes to unwanted areas, Z. matrella is highly competitive and its dense growth can lead to the decline of native vegetation. 

Control

  • Mechanical control: Digging to remove the stolons and rhizomes
  • Chemical control: Apply a non-selective herbicides like glyphosate

Since the grass primarily propagates through stolons and rhizomes, the digging control strategy needs to consider their removal for effective control. Follow up the process with monitoring to eliminate new regrowth.

Spraying a non-selective herbicide like glyphosate in late summer and making repeat treatments for new sprouts is the best strategy to get rid of unwanted Zoysia matrella.