Hainardia
| Hainardia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Hainardia Greuter |
| Species: | H. cylindrica |
| Binomial name | |
| Hainardia cylindrica (Willd.) Greuter | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Lepturus cylindricus | |
Hainardia is a monotypic genus of grasses containing the single species Hainardia cylindrica, which is known by several common names, including barbgrass, hardgrass, and thintail. This grass is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it can be found along coastlines in many parts of the temperate world. It is an annual grass of salt marshes and estuaries, thriving in saline and alkaline soils in aquatic habitats. It has a branching stem reaching a maximum height near half a meter. The thready leaves are ribbed and rough to the touch on the upper surfaces. The top few centimeters of the stem is made up of a cylindrical inflorescence with each spikelet embedded into it and dividing it into segments which can break off.