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Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr., commonly known as Manila grass, is a species of mat-forming, perennial Poaceae native to temperate coastal southeastern Asia and northern Australasia, from southern Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Taiwan, and southern China (Guangdong, Hainan) south through Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to northern Australia (northeast Queensland), and west to the Cocos Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Other common names include Manila templegrass, siglap grass (after an area in Singapore), temple grass, harishiba, hierba Manila (Spanish language), Japanese carpet, jukut kakawatan hijau (Sundanese), rebha sekem-sekeman (Madurese), burikit (on Seram), rumput siglap (Malay language), damong-alat, barit-baritan (Tagalog language), malakuwerdas (Pangasinan), ya-nuannoi (Thai).
Two varieties are distinguished by some authors:
The variety of common names attests to its widespread occurrence in these regions along with its usefulness as a cultivated grass in diverse areas. It is naturalised in many places, as in Hawaii, and can become weedy, like many plant species with desirable horticulture characteristics.
The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia’ records that this plant is "A grass of considerable value on littoral swamps and dry flats near the sea. According to Kirk, it is found sometimes forming a compact turf of dry land, and affording a large supply of succulent herbage for horses, cattle and sheep. Its value, however, in such localities, if bulkier grasses would grow there, must be comparatively little, as, from its close-growing habit, it chokes out all other species. It is evidently much relished by stock, and is worthy of introduction in sand-hill districts near the sea, or saline soil inland; it would clothe the wet fiats with a valuable sward. It will be easiest propagated by roots, the closely-matted, wiry fibres forming coherent masses of turf, which are easily conveyed in fragments to a distance without injury."
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