categoryZGrasses Grasses List 

NORTHERN DEERGRASS

Trichophorum cespitosum

Sedge Club- & Spike-Rush Family [Cyperaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june

category
category8Grasses
status
statusZnative
flower
flower8brown
inner
inner8cream
petals
petalsZ0
stem
stem8triangular
stem
stem8fluted
rarity
rarityZrare
sex
sexZbisexual

20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Grows in wetter places than the taller Deergrass (Trichophorum germanicum).


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Un-branched, grows to 25cm (10 to 35cm shorter than Deergrass, but in similar places): bogs and wet moors, but not dry peat.


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Thinner than Deergrass, only 1mm thick rather than the 1.8-3mm of Deergrass.


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Has fewer flowers than Deergrass, normally 5, but 3-10 as opposed to 8-20 for Deergrass.


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The few flowers on short, white stalks. Stems 3-sided, and 3-fluted. Glume the usual brown but with a green tip.


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD


20th April 2012, Duddon Mosses, Foxfield, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD


Can be mis-identified as : Deergrass (Trichophorum germanicum but see captions above.

Hybridizes with : Deergrass (Trichophorum germanicum) to produce Trichophorum × foesteri which is more common than Northern Deergrass and has a similar distribution, but is sterile, with the flower spikelets falling early. Indeed, it is always possible that the above photos are of this sterile hybrid, since no wispy anthers can be espied in the photos. However, the leaf-blades can be found in the photos, and they are between 5-10 times longer than their opening (rather than the shorter 2.5-5 x longer of the hybrid), so these are indeed specimens of Northern Deergrass, and not the hybrid. Phew!

Grows in wetter places than the much taller more robust Deergrass (Trichophorum germanicum). On wet bogs, wet moors - acid lowlands or uplands, but not on dryish peat. Leaves are basal reddish-brown sheaths. Fruit a 3-sided nut.

It is a very rare [RRR].


  Trichophorum cespitosum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Cyperaceae  

Distribution
 family8Sedge Club- & Spike-Rush family8Cyperaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Trichophorum
Trichophorum
(Deergrasses)

NORTHERN DEERGRASS

Trichophorum cespitosum

Sedge Club- & Spike-Rush Family [Cyperaceae]