Long runners let this grass spread into loose green mats, from exposed beaches to shaded forest ground.
- Local names
- Matie nanamu (Society Islands), matie toro (Tuamotu Islands)
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
- Other names
- Lepturus grass
- Family
- Poaceae
- Biogeographical status
- Indigenous
- Life form
- Herbaceous plant
- Abundance
- Very common
- Ecosystem
- Beach and mixed forest
About this species
Pacific island thintail grows in coral sand and in the shallow soil covering rocks. Its long stolons, or creeping stems, form broad but open mats. The guide records it in both exposed coastal settings and forested areas.
Butaud & Jacq, Guide floristique des atolls soulevés des Tuamotu. DIREN, Papeete, Polynésie française