Phil Bendle Collection:Zoysia minima (Prickly couch)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Tribe: Zoysieae
Genus: Zoysia
Species: Z minima
Binomial name: Zoysia minima
Synonym: Gaimardia minima
Common names: Prickly couch, Zoysia

Zoysia minima is a native, perennial, mat-forming species of a tiny, creeping, dune grass. It is endemic in the North Island south of Auckland and Coromandel. In the South Island, it is scattered from Nelson, Marlborough south to Central Otago. It inhabits coastal to inland sand dunes, sandy ground, and gravel areas up to 600 m.a.s.l. 
It forms brownish green mats. The leaves are 3cm x 1mm. 
Zoysia minima are now widely used as a commercial lawn species where a hard wearing dry tolerant cover is needed.

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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 

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