Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv.

Graminae

Synonyms

Aira cespitosa L. Many forms acknowledged as varieties or subspecies.

Common names

Tufted hair-grass (English), Canche cespiteuse (French), Rasen schmiele (German).

Description

Perennial plant, robust, hairless, cespitous. Stems erect, 30 - 150 cm high. Blade folded when young, 2 -5 mm large, rough, often very long, strongly veined on the upper part, sharp, dark green. Ligule narrowly lanceolate, very acute, very long, irregular, white. No auricles. Panicke-like ample inflorescence, spreading even after flowering, up to 40 cm long. Spikelets 2-flowered (rarely 3 - 4 fertile flowers), 3 - 6 mm long. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.20 to 0.30 g (small seeds). Chromosome number: 2n = 26 (28).

Temperature

Widespread in the climates of the temperate area. Very resistant to cold and to a long snowy period.

Soil

Restricted to wet and boggy soils. Optimum on moderately rich to poor soils in nutrients (mesotrophic to slightly oligotrophic species). Excluded from the richer soils. Mainly on moderately to very acid soils. Mainly distributed on peat soils but also widespread on clay soils.

Distribution

Native to temperate and cold areas of the northern hemisphere and to the mountain areas of tropical Africa. From the lowlands to high altitude in mountain areas.

References