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Lapland Reedgrass

Lapland Reedgrass

Calamagrostis lapponica

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How common: Common

Lapland Reedgrass is a tall, long-lived grass of northern regions. It forms upright clumps with narrow, very long-pointed leaves and a tight, brown to purplish-brown flower head. You can see it in forests, heaths, bog hummocks, rocky ground and roadsides.

Did you know?

  • Its flower head can look pale brown or deep purplish-brown depending on age and light.
  • Despite its name, it grows across northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America.

About the species

Identification

Upright, unbranched stems 50–100 cm tall, usually with two joints. Leaves 2–4 mm wide, narrow and very long-pointed, with edges rolled upward; the upper surface feels rough. The flower head is 5–13 cm long, dense and spindle-shaped, with a smooth outline; color ranges from pale brown to dark purplish brown. Each tiny flower has only a short, hidden bristle, so the head does not look bristly. Compared with many other reedgrasses, the head stays tight rather than loose and airy, and the leaves are narrow and rough on top. Flowers in Finland in July–August.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

heath forest

Flowering

Jul–Aug

About the habitat

Grows in dry to moist coniferous forests, open heath-like ground, raised hummocks in bogs, rocky outcrops and sandy roadsides in northern regions. Common in northern Finland down to Central Ostrobothnia and Kainuu; scattered in Central Finland.

Sources

Photo: nina_nesterova, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3384094849

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Tunturit: tunturikoivikot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40613

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapinkastikka

See also