Sub-species :

• Molinia cearulea ssp. cearulea occupies heaths, moors, fens, mountain grassland, cliffs and lake shores but always on ground that is seasonally wet. Shorter in most aspects than ssp. arundinacea
• Molinia cearulea ssp. arundinacea occupies fens, fen-scrub, fen-typevegetation by canals nd rivers but seemingly not acidic places like the above. Longer in most aspects than ssp. cearulea.

It is highly probable that the species shown above is that of Molinia cearulea ssp. cearulea since it is on upland acidic moors.

Due to the dense tussocks it forms it survives moorland fires relatively un-scathed. It flowers later than other species, between July and September.

Unlike the much shorter Blue Moor-Grass which grows on limestone grassland, Purple moor-grass grows on acidic mountain moors. Paradoxically, both are purple, in particular, Blue Moor-grass is not blue!