Common name: Tufted Hairgrass
Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. APNI* 
Description: Densely tufted perennials forming large tussocks to c. 1 m tall.
Culms erect, leafy at the base, smooth. Ligule acute, to 15 mm long; blade rolled in bud, flat or convolute, sharp-pointed, 1.5–4 mm wide, glabrous, scabrous above.
Inflorescence a loose, open panicle, erect or nodding, 10–50 cm long with slender branches, bare below. Spikelets loose or gaping, 3–9 mm long; florets green and purple-tinted proximally, silvery-shining distally. Glumes membranous, keeled, subequal to the spikelets; lower1-nerved, upper 3-nerved. Lemmas thin, rounded on the back, broad, truncate, 2–4-toothed at the apex, membranous, finely 5-nerved, bearded at the base, 3–4 mm long; callus hairs short; awn slender, straight, attached near the base, to 4 mm long; palea slightly shorter than lemmas, 2-toothed, with two scabrid keels.
Flowering: Summer.
Distribution and occurrence: In cool temperate and alpine areas of the world. In wet areas at high altitude.
NSW subdivisions: ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B.
Taxon concept: Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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