Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, Poaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Fertile plants: High risk, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment)
'Sunshine' cultivar: Low risk, score: -8 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Andropogon zizanioides (L.) Urb.; Phalaris zizanioides L.; Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash

Common name(s): [more details]

Bikol: móra, rimóras

Cebuano: amóora, giron, móra, móras, rimódas, tres-móras

Chinese: xiang gen cao

English: cuscus grass, khus-khus, vetiver grass

Fijian: mulimuli

French: chiendent odorant, vétiver

Hindi: garara, khas khas

Iloko: amóras

Maori (Cook Islands): a‘i, mauku a‘i

Pampangan: ílib, anías de móras

Spanish: raíz de móras, zacate violeta

Tagalog: móras, móro

Tongan: ahi siaina

Habit:  grass

Description: 

The listings below do not differentiate between plantings of sterile cultivars or fertile varieties unless specified in the literature.

"Perennial, the culms stout, up to 3 m high; leaf blades narrow, glabrous, 30-90 cm long, 5-12 mm broad, tapering at length to a fine point, the margins scabrous; panicle usually contracted, 22-37 cm long, the branches whorled, fragile, jointed, ascending, appressed, 5-7.5 cm long; spikelets paired, about 4 mm long, similar, one sessile, one stalked, falling entire at maturity, 2-flowered, the upper floret of sessile spikelet alone perfect, the others either female or sterile, the glumes with minute, prickly, wart-like projections, the glume of stalked spikelet almost smooth"  (Smith, 1979; p. 377).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "cultivated in gardens but is also escaped and naturalized, occurring along roadsides and contour lines. ...it may be considered a roadside weed" (Smith, 1979; p. 377). In New Caledonia, "largement dispersé à présent, surtout en bords de routes" (MacKee, 1994; p. 63).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Southeastern Asia to tropical Africa" (Smith, 1979; p. 377).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 353) Taxon name on voucher: Vetiveria zizanioides
Fiji Fiji Islands	Matuku Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 377) Voucher cited: Tothill
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 377) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 228, DA 8206, DA 8273, DA 8565, Degener 15013, DA 7984, DA 7874, DA 7466, DA 452, DA 2502, DA 6087,, DA 7485, DA 7542
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 41417) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysopogon zizanioides L.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 44725) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Nash
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 41280) Taxon name on voucher: Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Nash
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 348) Vouchers cited: Moore 528, Grant 5364
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007) As Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 63) Voucher cited: Le Rat 230
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 63)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced cultivated	Henty, E. E. (1969) (p. 190)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 49) As Andropogon zizanioides (Linn.) Urban. Planted about rice-paddy banks, often abundant.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Western Samoa Islands		Whistler, W. A. (2004) (1) Vai'e'e penisula, in sandy beach area, August 1991; (2) next to a house at Lona, Fagaloa, August 1972.
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Lifuka Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (pp. 53-54) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15728
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (pp. 53-54) "Occasional throughout Tonga"
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (pp. 53-54) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15660
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (pp. 53-54) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15216
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 28)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Commonly cultivated. Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan.
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 193) As Vetiveria zizanoides Nash
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 26) Cultivated only
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Commonly cultivated.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 58) Voucher cited: Robertson 2734
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013) Louisiana

Control:  If you know of control methods for Chrysopogon zizanioides, please let us know.