Deschampsia cespitosa

Scientific profile

A clump-forming perennial grass, native in Great Britain, typically reaching about 0.6 metres in height. It produces broad, mid-green leaves that arch outward from a dense basal tussock. The flowering stems rise above the foliage from May to September, carrying loose, silvery panicles that shimmer in the low light of its preferred semi-shaded habitats. It thrives in moderately moist, mesotrophic soils that are neutral to weakly acidic, often occurring along woodland margins, in tall-herb communities, wet meadows and stream sides. The plant associates with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and has very small seeds (diaspore mass around 0.23 mg).