The Mattress Grass

his article is still heaviliy a WIP, but I wanted to submit it anyway because I never submitted the sister article in its challenge.Forgive the unpolished version.

The Mattress Grass is a long stem graminaceous plant that during its flower season forms a soft cushion of aromatic grass leaves and stems with interspersed little yellow flowers.
Its characteristic fluffiness has developed as a way to attract the preferential pollinator of this plant, the Bee shepherd, but a moltitude of other animals, sapient species included, take advantage of it for a variety of uses.
It is not uncommon for the stems, and sometimes whole bushes, to be claimed as nesting material by birds and small mammals alike, and most human cultures in Eastern Phaldorya uses its fibres both as mattress filling and as a basketweaving material. All of these are activities that contribute to the pollination and dissemination of the plant.
This caused the spread of the Mattress grass in areas outside those commonly frequented by Bee Shepherds, such as many temperate areas of western Phaldorya.
The plant grows from a subterranean tuber to form a bush of curled and tender stems that in spring bloom with a moltitude of little yellow flowers. The exposed stamen of these inflorescences carry sacs of pollen equipped with a thin hook that easily attaches to the fur of the animals who visit it. In the case of the Bee shepherd, in particular, these sacs of pollen can be transported for several miles and detach only after a few hours when the hooks loses strenght and the animal is rolling in a new Mattress grass bush.
The name of the plant is due to the fact that when dried, the stem fibres retain their softness and fragrance and are therefore commonly used as filling for mattresses and pillows by various populations in Phaldorya. When stripped of their external layers, the leaves also form a strong but delicate textile fibre that stins well and is easy to weave and knit with.
This fibre is one of the preferential materials for the Otadan to weave their clothes, in particlar for the warm season, and it's sometimes used to embroder their Birth Blankets too.
Another part of the plant that is widely used is the tuber, that can be roasted or boiled or ground into a flour to make unleavened bread.

Scientific Name

Setaria culcita

Geographic Distribution

• Eastern Phaldorya