Imperata

{{Short description|Genus of grasses}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|name = Satintails

|image = Imperata cylindrica spikes.jpg

|image_caption = Imperata cylindrica

|display_parents = 4

|taxon = Imperata

|authority = Cirillo

|type_species = Imperata arundinacea

|type_species_authority = Cirillo

}}

Imperata is a small but widespread genus of tropical and subtropical grasses, commonly known as satintails.Cirillo, Domenico Maria Leone 1792. Plantarum Rariorum Regni Neapolitani 2: 26Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Satintail grass species are perennial rhizomatous herbs with solid, erect stems and silky inflorescences. The best known species is Imperata cylindrica, which is recognized as a devastating noxious weed in many places and cultivated as an ornamental plant in others.[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=116394 Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 583 白茅属 bai mao shu Imperata Cirillo, Pl. Rar. Neapol. 2: 26. 1792. ][http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?8738,9069 Jepson Manual Treatment][http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=IMPER United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile][http://herbarium.usu.edu/webmanual/info2.asp?name=Imperata&type=treatment Grass Manual Genus Profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611123146/http://herbarium.usu.edu/webmanual/info2.asp?name=Imperata&type=treatment |date=2011-06-11 }}

The genus is named after Ferrante Imperato, a Renaissance apothecary who lived in Naples in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. His collection included a herbarium.{{cite book|last=Quattrocchi|first=Umberto|title=CRC World Dictionary of Grasses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ieqQs7hIREC&pg=PA1143|year=2006|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4200-0322-2|page=1105}}[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=116394 Flora of Pakistan][http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:apni.taxon:418260#tab_classification Atlas of Living Australia]