Imperata Explained

Imperata is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails.^{[1] [2]}

Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is Imperata cylindrica, which is recognized as a devastating noxious weed in many places and cultivated as an ornamental plant in others.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

The genus is named after Ferrante Imperato, a Renaissance apothecary who lived in Naples in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. His collection included a herbarium.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:^[10]

• Imperata brasiliensis - South + Central America, West Indies, southern Mexico
• Imperata brevifolia - southwestern US (CA AZ NV UT NM TX)
• Imperata cheesemanii - Kermadec Islands (part of New Zealand)
• Imperata condensata - Argentina, Chile
• Imperata conferta - plumegrass, kunay grass - Southeast Asia, Papuasia, Micronesia
• Imperata contracta - guayanilla - South + Central America, West Indies, southern Mexico
• Imperata cylindrica - bladygrass, cogongrass, speargrass, silver-spike - Africa, southern Europe, southwestern Asia; introduced in central and eastern Asia, North America, various islands
• Imperata flavida - Hainan Province in China
• Imperata minutiflora - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina
• Imperata parodii - southern Chile
• Imperata tenuis - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Corrientes Province of Argentina

Formerly Included

Various species have been relocated to other genera, such as Cinna, Lagurus, Miscanthus Saccharum, and Tripidium:^[11]

• Imperata eulalioides - Miscanthus sacchariflorus
• Imperata exaltata - Tripidium arundinaceum
• Imperata klaga - Saccharum spontaneum
• Imperata ovata - Lagurus ovatus
• Imperata saccharifera - Cinna arundinacea
• Imperata sacchariflora - Miscanthus sacchariflorus
• Imperata sara - Tripidium bengalense (syn. Saccharum bengalense)
• Imperata spontanea - Saccharum spontaneum
• Imperata tinctoria - Miscanthus tinctorius

Notes and References

1. Cirillo, Domenico Maria Leone 1792. Plantarum Rariorum Regni Neapolitani 2: 26
2. Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=116394 Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 583 白茅属 bai mao shu Imperata Cirillo, Pl. Rar. Neapol. 2: 26. 1792.
4. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8738,9069 Jepson Manual Treatment
5. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=IMPER United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
6. http://herbarium.usu.edu/webmanual/info2.asp?name=Imperata&type=treatment Grass Manual Genus Profile
7. Book: Quattrocchi, Umberto. CRC World Dictionary of Grasses. 2006. CRC Press. 978-1-4200-0322-2. 1105.
8. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=116394 Flora of Pakistan
9. http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:apni.taxon:418260#tab_classification Atlas of Living Australia
10. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30017408-2 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
11. https://powo.science.kew.org/results?f=&q=Imperata Imperata