Deschampsia flexuosa
| Deschampsia flexuosa | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Deschampsia |
| Species: | D. flexuosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Deschampsia flexuosa (L.) Trin.
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Synonymy
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Deschampsia flexuosa, commonly known as wavy hair-grass, is a species of bunchgrass in the grass family widely distributed in Eurasia, Africa, South America, and North America.[1]
Description
[edit]Wavy hair-grass, Deschampsia flexuosa, has wiry leaves and delicate, shaking panicles formed of silvery or purplish-brown flower heads on wavy, hair-like stalks. The leaves are bunched in tight tufts with plants forming a very tussocky, low sward 5 to 20 cm tall before flowering, to 30 cm high.
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Illustration of D. flexuosa (including D. caespitosa) -
Mature inflorescence
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Deschampsia flexuosa is found naturally in dry grasslands and on moors and heaths.
It is also an important component of the ground flora of birch and oak woodland.[2]
The plant has a preference for acidic, free-draining soil, and avoids chalk and limestone areas. It can exist over 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level.[3]
See also
[edit]- Woodland and scrub communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system—birch and oak woodland
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ see British NVC community W11 (Quercus petraea–Betula pubescens–Oxalis acetosella woodland) and British NVC community W16 (Quercus spp.–Betula spp.–Deschampsia flexuosa woodland).
- ^ BSBI Description Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 1 December 2010.
External links
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