Poaceae

Matgrass

Nardus stricta L.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Nardus

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Matgrass (Nardus stricta) — FlowerPhoto: Joan Simon, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (14)

Asturian: Cervunu
Catalan: N. stricta
Czech: Smilka tuhá
Dutch: Borstelgras
English: Matgrass, Mat-grass
Finnish: Jäkki
French: Nard, Nard raide
frr: Swinsbas
German: Borstgras, Borstgräser, Bürstling
Macedonian: Кртол
Polish: Bliźniczka, Bliźniczka psia trawka, Psia trawka, Bliźniczka wyprostowana
Russian: Белоус торчащий
Spanish: Cervuno
Swedish: Stagg, Borstgräs, Finnskägg, Hära, Stålgräs, Ängsborst

Synonyms

Nardus glabriculmis Sakalo
Nardus stricta var. elatior Gaudin
Nardus stricta var. elongata Legendre
Nardus stricta var. glabriculmis (Sakalo) Tzvelev
Nardus stricta var. minor Guffroy
Natschia stricta (L.) Bubani

Flowers

In flower: May to August (from 71 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Graminoid
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Joan Simon, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: CorentinD, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Dave U, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Lars Willighagen, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Dmitriy Bochkov, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 06:15, 4 October 2006, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Conny, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: lekhaim katalpa, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: carnifex, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.