NARDUS. 



197 



The Matgrass is a pretty enough grass in its native 

 haunts, the wild moor and the steep hill-side, where no 

 shadow falls but that of sail- 

 ing clouds. The numerous 

 tufts of leaves are of a dark 

 colour, and harsh, and the 

 tall slender violet spikes rise 

 from among them, forming 

 a grave enough contrast, till 

 some sunny morning when 

 the sorrows of the grouse 

 are about to begin, the Au- 

 gust heat compels the shy 

 purple florets to open, and 

 out burst the orange anthers 

 hanging like a gay fringe 

 upon the now expanded 

 spikelet. 



The foliage is too harsh to please the taste of cattle, 

 and grass-lovers are at a loss to find recommendations 

 for it. Linnseus discovered that crows often busied 

 themselves about it, but he ascertained that it was for 

 the sake of some larvae which infested it, and he also 

 asserts that horses and goats like it. 



The name Avas first given by classical writers ; it is 

 supposed to be derived from the Hebrew. 



Its foreign homes are Lapland, Norway, Sweden, 

 Germany, North America, and the United States. 



Its flowering time is August; it is common in all 

 hilly districts. 



