Lygeum is a genus of Mediterranean plants in the grass family.Linnaeus, Carl von. 1754. Genera Plantarum, ed. 5 27, (522).Abdeddaim-Boughanmi, K. and M. Kaid-Harche. (2009). Structure, ultrastructure of the anther, pollen microsporogenesis and morphology of pollen grains of two populations of Lygeum spartum L. in Algeria. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 4(3): 201-05. It is placed in its own tribe Lygeeae, which is sister to Nardeae.
The only known species is Lygeum spartum, commonly called esparto grass, cord grassAltervista Flora Italiana, genere Lygeum, Sparto steppico, Esparto Grass or albardine, which is distributed in arid areas around the Mediterranean Sea. It is similar in appearance to Macrochloa tenacissimaGarcı́a-Fuentes, A., et al. (2001). Review of communities of Lygeum spartum L. in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula (western Mediterranean). Journal of Arid Environments 48(3), 323-39. and both species are used to produce a fibre product known as esparto or esparto grass.Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz. 1992 onwards. Lygeum. The Grass Genera of the World. DELTA – DEscription Language for TAxonomy. Version: 18 December 2012.
Description Lygeum spartum is a rhizomatous hermaphroditic, perennial grass growing up to tall.Clayton, W. D., et al. (2006 onwards). Lygeum. GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. The rhizome and the base of the stem are scaly.Lygeum spartum. Flora of Pakistan. The leaves are threadlike but stiff and tough, measuring up to long. The inflorescence is made up of a few long-haired spikelets each up to long. They are wrapped in a lance-shaped bract called a spatheole. This sheath is long and can have a sharp point.
Distribution Lygeum spartinum is native to southern Europe and North Africa, where its distribution includes Crete, Italy, Spain, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.Lygeum spartum. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). It may have been introduced to Kashmir.
Habitat Rocky sea shores, or on dry sandy or clay and often calcareous soil.
Uses Lygeum spartum fibres have high tensile strength and flexibility, and is used for making ropes, sandals, baskets, mats and other durable articles. They have also used in the manufacture of high quality paper. It can also be used locally as a fodder for livestock and to stabilise sand dunes and rehabilitate salt soils, due to its tolerance of saline conditions.
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