''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns ...

, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...

herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ''

Imperata cylindrica ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has also been introduc ...

'', which is recognized as a devastating noxious weed in many places and cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

in others. The genus is named after Ferrante Imperato, a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Amer ...

who lived in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. His collection included a herbarium.Atlas of Living Australia
/ref>

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> * ''

Imperata brasiliensis ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - South + Central America, West Indies, southern Mexico * ''

Imperata brevifolia ''Imperata brevifolia'' is a species of grass known by the common name California satintail. Distribution It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Texas and northern Mexico, where it grows in arid regions where water is ...

'' - southwestern US ( CA AZ NV UT NM TX) * ''

Imperata cheesemanii ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' -

Kermadec Islands The Kermadec Islands ( mi, Rangitāhua) are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga. The islands are part of New Zealand. They are in total ar ...

(part of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

) * ''

Imperata condensata ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - Argentina, Chile * ''

Imperata conferta ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - plumegrass, kunay grass - Southeast Asia,

Papuasia Papuasia is a Level 2 botanical region defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in the Melanesia ecoregion of Oceania and Tropical Asia. It comprises the ...

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

* ''

Imperata contracta ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - guayanilla - South + Central America, West Indies, southern Mexico * ''

'' - bladygrass, cogongrass, speargrass, silver-spike - Africa, southern Europe, southwestern Asia; introduced in central and eastern Asia, North America, various islands * ''

Imperata flavida ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical Poaceae, grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial Rhizome, rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best ...

'' - Hainan Province in China * ''

Imperata minutiflora ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina * ''

Imperata parodii ''Imperata'' is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails. Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is ...

'' - southern Chile * '' Imperata tenuis'' - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil,

Corrientes Province Corrientes (, ‘currents’ or ‘streams’; gn, Taragui), officially the Province of Corrientes ( es, Provincia de Corrientes; gn, Taragüí Tetãmini) is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by (fr ...

of Argentina

Formerly Included

Various species have been relocated to other genera, such as '' Cinna, Lagurus,

Miscanthus ''Miscanthus'', or silvergrass, is a genus of African, Eurasian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family, Poaceae. ; Species * '' Miscanthus changii'' Y.N.Lee – Korea * '' Miscanthus depauperatus'' Merr. – the Philippines * '' Miscant ...

Saccharum ''Saccharum'' is a genus of tall perennial plants of the broomsedge tribe within the grass family. The genus is widespread across tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions in Africa, Eurasia, Australia, the Americas, and assorted oceani ...

,'' and ''

Tripidium ''Tripidium'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Poaceae, native to Spain, Morocco, Korea and New Guinea. The genus name was first published by Hildemar Wolfgang Scholz in 2006 as a replacement for the illegitimate name ''Ripidium''. ...

'':Imperata
/ref> * ''Imperata eulalioides -

Miscanthus sacchariflorus ''Miscanthus sacchariflorus'', the Amur silvergrass, is a grass native to temperate Northeast Asia Northeast Asia or Northeastern Asia is a geographical subregion of Asia; its northeastern landmass and islands are bounded by the Pacific Ocea ...

'' * ''Imperata exaltata -

Tripidium arundinaceum ''Tripidium arundinaceum'', synonym ''Saccharum arundinaceum'', commonly known as hardy sugar cane, is a grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia from India to Korea and New Guinea. In the Tamil language it is known as நாணல் − ...

'' * ''Imperata klaga -

Saccharum spontaneum ''Saccharum spontaneum'' (wild sugarcane, Kans grass) is a grass native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots. In the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands, a l ...

'' * ''Imperata ovata - Lagurus ovatus'' * ''Imperata saccharifera - Cinna arundinacea'' * ''Imperata sacchariflora -

'' * ''Imperata sara -

Tripidium bengalense ''Tripidium bengalense'', synonym ''Saccharum bengalense'', with the common names munj sweetcane, baruwa sugarcane or baruwa grass, is a plant of the genus '' Tripidium'' native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh an ...

'' (syn. ''Saccharum bengalense'') * ''Imperata spontanea -

'' * ''Imperata tinctoria - Miscanthus tinctorius''

References

Panicoideae Poaceae genera {{Panicoideae-stub