About Thysanolaena latifolia (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Honda
Thysanolaena is a monotypic genus in the grass family (Poaceae), belonging to the tribe Thysanolaeneae. Its only recognized species is Thysanolaena latifolia (Roxb. ex Hornem.) Honda, which was formerly known as Thysanolaena maxima. This species is native to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (specifically the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, and Yunnan), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has also become naturalized in Mauritius, the Seychelles, Gambia, Tanzania, Hawaii, California, the West Indies, and Brazil. Common names for this plant include tiger grass, Nepalese broom grass, broom grass, and broom stick; it is called amriso in Nepali and jhadu in Assamese. The plant's flowers are used to make cleaning tools or brooms, which are called kuchcho in Nepali and phool jhadu (shortened to jhadu) in Hindi. This grass grows along steep hills, sandy river banks, and damp steep banks along ravines. In Nepal, it is widely distributed across the country up to an altitude of 2000 metres, and it can grow successfully on severely degraded and marginal lands. Broom grass grows in tussocks, with 4 to 5 tussocks per 100-metre radius, and is harvested in winter between January and March. Throughout the tropics, this species is grown as an ornamental plant under the common name tiger grass. It can be used to create a similar visual effect to bamboo, which it resembles. While both T. latifolia and bamboo belong to the grass family Poaceae, bamboos are in the subfamily Bambusoideae, and T. latifolia is classified in the subfamily Panicoideae.
