The Presence of Silica Bodies on the Foliar Epidermis of Zoysiagrass

The presence of silica bodies (SB) in the foliar epidermis of zoysiagrass is a special characteristics, the function of which is not well understood. To quantify the importance of SB, we evaluated foliar SB densities and sizes of five Zoysia species (Z. japonica, Z. matrella, Z. pacifica, Z. minima, and Z. macrostachya) including three ecotypes of each species using tabletop scanning electron microscopy. Our results demonstrated that abaxial SB density was significantly higher (mean; 734.3 mm^-2) than that of adaxial SB (mean; 317.7mm^-2) in all species. Abaxial SB size was also significantly larger (mean; 80.0 μm²) than that of the adaxial SB (mean; 61.4 μm²) in all species. Z. japonica had a significantly higher SB density and size among tested Zoysia spp. Location specific sizes of foliar abaxial SB were identified: large on the midrib, medium on other ribs, and small in the costal zone. These results support the hypothesis that foliar SBs of zoysiagrass function to protect shoots from physical damage to under rib bundles and Kranz anatomy, and to assist light absorbance for C₄ photosynthesis through inhibiting leaves from twisting. Further work assessing SB impact on growth efficiency, survival strategy, and the utility of zoysiagrass is needed.