Barb wire grass

Description

Nardus is a genus of plants belonging to the grass family, containing the single species Nardus stricta, known as matgrass. It is placed in its own tribe Nardeae within the subfamily Pooideae. The name derives from nardos (------), the ancient Greek name for this plant. It is not to be confused with spikenard, Nardostachys jatamansi. Culms are erect and 25-60 centimetres (10-20 in) long, with grey-green leaf-blades filiform and involute, ranging from 4-30 cm (2-10 in) long by 0.5-1 millimetre (0.02-0.04 in) wide, i.e. bristle like. The ligules of basal leaves are 0.4-0.8 mm (0.02-0.03 in) long and blunt, while those of culm leaves are longer, up to 2 mm (0.08 in), and more pointed. The roots and shoots are very closely packed together at the base of the plant producing a white, tough, highly reflective feature. The spikelets are very slender and loosely overlapping in two rows each side of the spikelet axis. Each lemma is tipped with a short awn.