Thysanolaena is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, placed within the tribe Thysanolaeneae. The genus contains a single recognized species, Thysanolaena latifolia (sometimes referred to by the older name Thysanolaena maxima), a large, robust perennial grass native to South and Southeast Asia.
Known widely as tiger grass, Nepalese broom grass, or simply broom grass, Thysanolaena latifolia forms dense tussocks and can reach considerable height. It grows naturally along steep hillsides, sandy riverbanks, and damp ravine margins, and is notably tolerant of severely degraded and marginal soils. In Nepal, where it is widely distributed at elevations up to 2,000 metres, the plant is called amriso; in Assamese it is known as jhadu.
The genus is best known for the economic use of its large, feathery flower panicles, which are harvested and fashioned into brooms and brushes—a practice reflected in all of its common names. This harvesting takes place during the winter months, typically between January and March.
Thysanolaena latifolia is native across a broad arc of tropical and subtropical Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan), India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has also become naturalized in parts of Africa (Mauritius, Seychelles, Gambia, Tanzania), the Pacific (Hawaii), North America (California), the West Indies, and Brazil.
Etymology
The genus name Thysanolaena derives from the Greek thysanos (fringe or tassel) and laena (cloak or mantle), a reference to the fringed or feathery appearance of the flower panicles. The common name "broom grass" reflects the plant's long-established use: harvested panicles are bound into brooms used across South and Southeast Asia.
Distribution
Thysanolaena latifolia is native to tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, ranging from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka through mainland Southeast Asia to southern China, and extending to Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and New Guinea. It has been naturalized beyond its native range in parts of Africa (Mauritius, Seychelles, Gambia, Tanzania), Hawaii, California, the West Indies, and Brazil.
Ecology
The grass grows on steep hillsides, sandy river banks, and damp ravine margins. It tolerates poor, degraded, and marginal soils, making it useful for erosion-prone slopes. Plants form tussocks, typically 4–5 tussocks per 100 m radius. In Nepal it is found throughout the country up to an altitude of 2,000 metres, and the flower panicles are harvested during the dry winter period from January to March.
Cultural Uses
Thysanolaena latifolia is one of the most economically important non-timber grass products of the Himalayan foothills and South/Southeast Asia. Its mature flower panicles are gathered and tied into brooms and brushes used for sweeping and cleaning — the basis of all its common names (broom grass, broom stick, tiger grass, Nepalese broom grass). In Nepal, these brooms are called kuchcho and the plant itself amriso; in Hindi the broom is jhadu or phool jhadu. Broom production from this grass supports livelihoods in Nepal and other parts of the region, with harvest concentrated in the January–March window.
