Esparto grass

Macrochloa tenacissima, synonym Stipa tenacissima, (esparto, esparto grass, halfah grass, alfa grass, or needle grass) is a perennial grass of northwestern Africa and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Phylogenetic and morphological evidence indicated that the species did not belong in Stipa, and recent sources treat the species as Macrochloa tenacissima as a result.

Distribution

Macrochloa tenacissima is native to the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and western north Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya). It grows in dry, rocky and base rich soils, forming a steppe-like grassland. It has been managed by people for centuries.

Uses

Macrochloa tenacissima produces a fiber product called esparto which is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles as well as for making paper.

See also

• Lygeum spartum, another species of grass also used as esparto

References

External links

• Media related to Stipa tenacissima at Wikimedia Commons
• Stipa tenacissima Spanish information Archived 2018-11-30 at the Wayback Machine
• McQuarrie, Gavin (1995). European influence and tribal society in Tunisia during the nineteenth century: the origins and impact of the trade in esparto grass 1870–1940 (PDF) (PhD thesis). University of Durham. hdl:10068/460367.