Poaceae
Deschampsia

Deschampsia setacea (Huds.) Hack.

First published in Cat. Rais. Gramin. Portugal: 33 (1880)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NW. & W. Europe. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-60 cm long; 2-3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2-8 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5-20 cm long; 0.2-1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 6-15 cm long; 3-7 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1-4 mm long; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 3-4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4-5 mm long; 1.6-1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5-3 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 4 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous; rough above. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with outer lobes longer; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.1-0.2 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3-6 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 0.5 length of fertile floret; pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5-2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, and southwestern. South America: southern South America.
Reference
Aveneae. CEH.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images