Deschampsia flexuosa
Deschampsia cespitosa
tufted hairgrass
mostly basal;
ligules membranous, 2–13 mm; acute (sometimes obtuse on some leaves);
blades flat, folded, or rolled, 1–6 mm wide.
8–30(40)cm;
branches spreading.
2.5–7.6 mm.
unequal; acute to long-tapered, exceeding or slightly exceeded by the distal floret;
lower glume 2.7–7 mm;
upper glume 2–7.5 mm.
2–5(7) mm; smooth; shiny;
lemma awns 0.5–8 mm, arising from near lemma base to about mid-length; straight or slightly bent.
1.5–3 mm.
=26–28.
Deschampsia flexuosa
Deschampsia cespitosa
Wet prairie, wet meadows, and salt marshes. 0–2900m. BR, BW, Casc, CR, ECas, Est, Lava, Sisk, WV. CA, ID, NV, WA; Canada and all but southeastern US; circumboreal, Australia, New Zealand. Native.
From a distance a D. cespitosa-dominated area is recognized by the light, open cloud of tan inflorescences floating a meter or so above the leaves, which form dense tussocks in wet prairie or salt marshes. The combination of dense basal tufts of leaves, delicate inflorescences, and long, acuminate ligules is unique among our common grass species. Three subspecies have been recognized, but the variation among them seems continuous, and many Oregon plants have combinations of traits that do not correspond to any named subspecies.
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
