Deschampsia flexuosa, through the looking glass.

Abstract

Deschampsia flexuosa is a member of the grass family that typically grows in xeric, sandy, acidic soils (pH = 4.5). It is adaptable to partial shade but also grows vigorously in full sun. In this study, I evaluated 9 sites which were expected to provide suitable habitat for Deschampsia; it was found in five of the nine locations. In general, the sites where I found D. flexuosa were representative of the expected habitats described in the literature. The most notable exception was that I did not find Deschampsia in any of the dry sandy jack pine barrens of the lower peninsula that were evaluated as part of this study although this type of location was documented in Herbarium records. Deschampsia was also absent from the dry, sandy, waste ground areas I visited around Mackinaw City although these conditons should also be apapropriate habitat. Most of the associates I was able to document at the five sites where Deschampsia was seen were typical members of dry, sandy, low nutrient communities but not necessarily as uniquely characteristic of them as Deschampsia flexuosa. Many grow in a wide variety of habitats and are commonly found in a number of places. In general, based on my observations, Deschampsia flexuosa is more likely to be associated with dry, sandy lake shores than the arid pine barren ecosystems of the lower peninsula. This paper discusses the habit, habitats, and associates of Deschampsia flexuosa for these five sites and compares the results to published reports.