Alkali Grass

Alkali grass describes a grassland characterised by high levels of mineral salts in the soil, limiting the area's usefulness for farming and sometimes for herding. They are sometimes associated with salt flats, dunes or ponds where alkali salts have accumulated, along with saltpetre or witherite.

Alkali grasslands present a stark and otherworldly landscape, where the ground is dry and crusty when walked upon, producing white, powdery alkaline soil that breaks through the surface. The air carries a faint briny scent, a reminder of the salt-rich environment.

Flora & Fauna

Alkali grass has a hardy tolerance for these regions. Short and wiry in texture, with a pale green or greyish hue, the grass grows in tufts and clumps. Amid the grass are small wildflowers, often with vibrant colours.

Grazing animals are those that have also evolved to feed upon the salty grass: specifically, rare herds of goat, sheep and sometimes cattle, wild or otherwise. Meat production is reduced by 25% per animal, with fleece, hides and skins having an inferior quality.

Various beasts, particularly basilisk and dragonis malignans, retreat to such areas for solitude and to lay their eggs.

Size

Regions vary greatly in size, from a few acres to much larger expanses covering hundreds and even thousands of square miles. However, they tend to be small and scattered within healthier grasslands.

See also,
Barrens (range)
Steppe (range)