Poaceae
Nardus

Nardus stricta L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 53 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Azores, NW. Africa, Europe to Mongolia and Türkiye, Greenland to NE. U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25-60 cm long; wiry; 1 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long; membranous; translucent; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 4-30 cm long; 0.5-1 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 3-8 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; 0.8 mm wide; scaberulous on margins; terminating in a barren extension; extension bristle-like. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the upper absent or obscure; persistent. Lower glume ovate; 0.25-1 mm long; 0.1-0.5 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5-9 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-3 mm long overall. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface smooth; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3.5-4 mm long. Stigmas 1; papillose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3-4 mm long. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Caucasus, and western Asia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, eastern Canada, and northeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Nardeae. FW 1994.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Common Names

English
Mat Grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images