Deschampsia gracillima Kirk

Species

Angiosperms > Poales > Poaceae > Deschampsia

Characteristics

Slender densely leafy tufts (2.5)-4-20-(25) cm, with stiff panicles often scarcely overtopping leaves; drying dull greenish brown. Leaf-sheaths submembranous, rounded, glabrous, light to dark brown, ribs few, ± prominent. Ligule 1.5-2 mm, glabrous, long tapered to acuminate tip. Leaf-blade (2)-3-7-(9) cm × 0.3-0.6 mm diam., involute, strict, glabrous, ribs few; tip hooded, very minutely sparsely prickle-toothed. Culm ± erect, often hidden by leaf-sheaths, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1.5-6 cm, erect, open, often deltoid; rachis glabrous, branches ascending to spreading, glabrous or sparsely minutely prickle-toothed, tipped by 1-2 spikelets. Spikelets 3.5-4.5 mm, light green, not very shining, becoming dull brown. Glumes subequal or unequal, < spikelet, ± keeled, minutely prickle-toothed on midnerve and margins near tip; lower 2-3.3-(4) mm, (1)-3-nerved, narrow-to oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, upper 2.5-4-(4.5) mm, elliptic-lanceolate, 3-nerved, obtuse. Lemma 2-3 mm, ovate-oblong, ± firmly membranous, apex irregularly 4-toothed; awn subapical, 0.2-1-(1.5) mm. Palea ≤ lemma, apex shortly bifid, keels minutely scaberulous. Callus hairs 0.6-1.3 mm, dense. Rachilla hairs 0.6-1 mm, ± dense. Lodicules 0.3 mm. Anthers 0.4-0.8 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.7-0.8 mm; stigma-styles 1.0-1.2 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm.
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Plants densely caespitose. Culms to c. 5 cm high or possibly taller (to 15 cm or more). Leaf blades involute, to 1.5 (–4) cm long, c. 0.5 mm wide. Panicles 0.8–1.6 cm or more long (to 5 cm long in N.Z. specimens), with 1 spikelet per typical ultimate branch. Spikelets usually (2.5–) 3–4 mm long, with 2 (or 3) bisexual florets. Glumes slightly shorter than florets; lower glume 2–3.3 mm long, (1 or) 3-nerved; upper glume 2.5–3.3 mm long, 3-nerved. Callus hairs to c. 0.75 (–1) mm long. Bisexual florets: lemma ovate-oblong, c. (1.5–) 2 (–2.3) mm long, obtuse to truncate, irregularly 4-toothed or erose to jagged at apex, hyaline, 5-nerved, glabrous; lemma awn shorter than lemma body, to c. 0.7 mm long, subapical (or terminal and appearing as extension of midnerve when lemma apex eroded).
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.05
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Grows in skeletal soils onexposed ridges at c. 1000 m alt. 
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-11

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Deschampsia gracillima world distribution map, present in Australia and New Zealand

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:397980-1
WFO ID wfo-0000862612
COL ID 6CN7J
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Deschampsia gracillima