Nardus stricta (L.)

Graminae

Synonyms

Common names

Mat-grass (English), Nard or nard raide (French), Borstgras (German).

Description

Perennial plant, small size, hairless, cespitous, with very short rhizomes. Stems erect, 10 -40 cm high, stiff. Blade needle, very narrow, hard, in a spiral, rough, bluish-green. Many blades set out perpendicular to the stem (the leaf makes a right angle: the sheath and the blade are perpendicular). Ligule short but visible (up to 2 mm). No auricles. Spike-like, stiff, one-sided inflorescence. Spikelets 1 - flowered. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.4 to 0.5 g (small seeds). Chromosome number: 2n = 26.

Habitat

Often dominates grazed covers between 900 and 2200 m in the Alps.

Temperature

Large climate range. Very resistant to cold and long periods of snow cover.

Soil

Optimum on dry soils. Restricted to soils very poor in nutrients, especially in phosphorus (oligotrophic species), and to very acid soils. Thrives on a large range of soil textures, usually on a thick layer of badly rotted organic matter (ranker, ...).

Distribution

Native to Europe, West Asia, the mountains of North Africa, Groenland and East of North America. From the lowlands to alpine levels (up to 3000 meters in the Alps).

References