Purple Moor Grass
Encyclopedia
Molinia caerulea is a perennial grass native to Europe
, west Asia
, and north Africa
. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to 2,300 m in the Alps
. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid soils, ideally pH
values of between 3.5 and 5, however, it can continue to live under more extreme conditions, sometimes to as low as 2. It is common on moist heathland, bogs and moorland
throughout Britain
. Introduced populations exist in northeastern and northwestern North America
, and as a horticultural ornamental plant
.
Purple moor grass and rush pastures is a United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
habitat, on account of its rarity.
and heather
), with many closely packed stems. The leaves are coarse
, green, taper to a point, long, flat and sometimes slightly hairy on top. Due to the dense tussock
it is very resistant to heath
fires. Its ligule
is a ring of hairs, as in heath grass (Danthonia decumbens
). The long narrow purple spikelets are a major identification feature - the panicle
is 15 cm long.
It flowers between July and September, later than any other species.
s of some Lepidoptera
use it as a foodplant, e.g., the Chequered Skipper
(Carterocephalus palaemon).
Claviceps purpurea
is an ascomycetous fungus which grows on the seeds of purple moor grass.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, west Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and north Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to 2,300 m in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid soils, ideally pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
values of between 3.5 and 5, however, it can continue to live under more extreme conditions, sometimes to as low as 2. It is common on moist heathland, bogs and moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
throughout Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Introduced populations exist in northeastern and northwestern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and as a horticultural ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
.
Purple moor grass and rush pastures is a United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
habitat, on account of its rarity.
Identification
Molinia caerulea is a bunchgrass tussock-forming perennial, growing up to 90 cm tall, (taller when sheltered by gorseGorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
and heather
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
), with many closely packed stems. The leaves are coarse
Granularity
Granularity is the extent to which a system is broken down into small parts, either the system itself or its description or observation. It is the "extent to which a larger entity is subdivided...
, green, taper to a point, long, flat and sometimes slightly hairy on top. Due to the dense tussock
Tussock (grass)
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are found as native plants in natural ecosystems, as forage in pastures, and as ornamental grasses in gardens....
it is very resistant to heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
fires. Its ligule
Ligule
A ligule — is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses and sedges or a strap-shaped corolla, such as that of a ray floret in plants in the daisy family....
is a ring of hairs, as in heath grass (Danthonia decumbens
Danthonia decumbens
Danthonia decumbens is a species of grass commonly known as common heath grass. It is a perennial with a decumbent habit: it lies on the ground with the tips turned upward....
). The long narrow purple spikelets are a major identification feature - the panicle
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
is 15 cm long.
It flowers between July and September, later than any other species.
Other associated species
The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
use it as a foodplant, e.g., the Chequered Skipper
Chequered Skipper
The Chequered Skipper or Arctic Skipper , is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family.-Description:This butterfly has a wingspan of 29 to 31 mm. The uppersides are a dark brown with a dusting of orange scales at the base of the wings and golden spots, giving it its English name of Chequered Skipper...
(Carterocephalus palaemon).
Claviceps purpurea
Claviceps purpurea
Claviceps purpurea is a fungus that grows on the ears of rye and related cereal and forage plants. Consumption of grains or seeds contaminated with the fruiting structure of this fungus, the ergot sclerotium, can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals.. C...
is an ascomycetous fungus which grows on the seeds of purple moor grass.