ROOTED IN RESEARCH

GENETIC RESEARCH SHINES LIGHT INTO ZOYSIA’S FAMILY TREE

By Susana Milla-Lewis, PhD, & Jennifer A. Kimball, PhD Edited for “Rooted in Research” by Casey Reynolds, PhD

Tere are approximately 30 different species of turfgrasses commonly found throughout the world, and each has its own set of characteristics that make it uniquely adapted for use. Tese adaptations can be grounded in climate, rainfall, mowing height, stress tolerance, sunlight requirements, etc., but among all of the different turfgrass species used today, few are as unique as those found in the Zoysia genus. Zoysiagrasses are thought to have originated in a region of the world that spans as far north as Japan and southeast China, and downward through Malaysia and into New Zealand. Tere are at least 11 recognized species within the Zoysia genus, with at least three of

Figure 1

them commonly used as turfgrass. Tese include Japanese zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica), Manilagrass (Zoysia matrella), and Mascarenegrass (Zoysia pacifica, previously identified as Zoysia tenuifolia). Historically speaking, zoysiagrass cultivars used for turfgrass have often been ‘very generally’ grouped into these three categories based mostly on leaf texture, but also on their shade tolerance and other traits. For example, coarse-textured zoysias have typically been thought of as Z. japonicas while fine-textured zoysias were considered Z. matrellas or Z. pacificas. As a result, some zoysiagrass cultivars have been misclassified with many intermediate types simply being called japonicas or matrellas. However, recent genetic research is shedding light on the inter-connectedness of these species and the diversity in traits they each produce.

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TPI Turf News May/June 2018