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Tufted Hair-Grass

Tufted Hair-Grass

Deschampsia cespitosa

Identify the Tufted Hair-Grass from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.

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How common: Very common

Tufted Hair-Grass is a tall grass that grows in tight tussocks, often in damp places. It sends up airy, shining flower sprays in early to mid-summer. It is widespread across Europe and also occurs widely in North America.

Did you know?

  • Its firm tussocks can make a meadow uneven and hard to walk across.
  • The open flower sprays often gleam silver with purplish or yellow-brown tones.

About the species

Identification

Forms dense tussocks. Stems 50–100 cm, upright and smooth. Leaves very narrow (about 2–3 mm), flat to slightly channelled, stiff and bright green; the upper surface feels rough, the underside smooth. Where each leaf meets the stem there is a long, pointed, papery flap. Flowering head 10–25 cm: tight at first, later open with many fine, rough branches; tiny, shining flower clusters with silvery, purplish and yellow-brown tints, each with a short, hidden bristle. Compared with Wavy Hair-Grass, this species likes wetter ground and has flatter, rough-topped leaves and a longer leaf-base flap. Flowers in Finland in June–July.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

meadow

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Grows on fresh to wet ground: meadows, fallows, pastures, shorelines, springs and wet woodland edges, as well as yards and other places near people. Tolerates many soils and competes especially well on rich organic ground. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Christian Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DeschampsiaCesp.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40564

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40564

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40564

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Tunturit: rakat ja soraikot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40564

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

See also