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]
Synonymy Aira flexuosa L. Arundo flexuosa (L.) Clairv. Avena flexuosa (L.) Mert. & W.D.J.Koch Avenella flexuosa (L.) Drejer Lerchenfeldia flexuosa (L.) Schur Podionapus flexuosus (L.) Dulac Salmasia flexuosa (L.) Bubani Aira montana L. Avena montana (L.) Weber Aira caryophyllaea Leers Aira arenaria F.W.Schmidtn. Aira flexilis L. ex Giseke Aira scabrosetacea Knapp Aira versicolor Roem. & Schult. Deschampsia alba Roem. & Schult. Eriachne montana Steud. Panicum rubigerum Steud. Aira alpina Sobol. ex Rupr. Avenella cuprina Schur Aira vestita Steud. Aira legei Boreau Lerchenfeldia cuprina Schur Aira euflexuosa Syme Deschampsia stricta Hack. Aira stricta (Hack.) Nyman Aira collina (Dumort.) B.D.Jacks. Deschampsia fuegina Phil. Deschampsia martinii Phil. Deschampsia tenella Phil. Avena kawakamii Hayata Deschampsia philippii Macloskie Deschampsia ruwensorensis Chiov. Deschampsia macloviana Gand. Deschampsia montana (L.) Rouy Deschampsia vestita (Steud.) Hauman & Parodi Deschampsia kawakamii (Hayata) Honda Deschampsia mairei Sennen Lerchenfeldia vestita (Steud.) Tzvelev Avenella stricta (Hack.) P.Silva Lerchenfeldia montana (L.) A.P.Khokhr. Avenella corsica (Tausch) Landolt

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

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.

• 
  Illustration of D. flexuosa (including D. caespitosa)
• 
  Mature inflorescence

Distribution and habitat

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

• Woodland and scrub communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system—birch and oak woodland

References

1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. see British NVC community W11 (Quercus petraea–Betula pubescens–Oxalis acetosella woodland) and British NVC community W16 (Quercus spp.–Betula spp.–Deschampsia flexuosa woodland).
3. BSBI Description Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 1 December 2010.

External links

• Sky flora: Deschampsia flexuosa