Deschampsia cespitosa (Linnaeus) Palisot de Beauvois ssp. glauca (Hartman) Hartman. Tufted Hairgrass. Phen: Jun-Jul. Hab: Thin soil of rock outcrops or barrens over calcareous, mafic, and ultramafic rocks (such as serpentine, amphibolite, limestone, and dolostone), seepages. Dist: NL to YT, south to NJ, PA, VA, w. NC, OH, IL, MN, AZ, and CA. D. cespitosa is a complex species, with a complicated polyploid and aneuploid series, variously subdivided (or not) by various taxonomists. As a whole, D. cespitosa is circumboreal, ranging south in North America to NJ, sw. NC, WV, c. KY, IL, MN, and AZ. Ssp. glauca is the most widespread American subspecies, and extends the farthest south. Other subspecies occur farther north and in Eurasia.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: In our area, D. cespitosa is at its southern limit in eastern North America and is a rare species limited to barrens and outcrops over mafic or ultramafic rocks. Barkworth in FNA (2007a) states that there is no legitimate name available for the taxon in North America that has been called 'glauca', and a new name may be needed. Haines (2011) suggests that our plant may be the same as the Russian D. anadyrensis.

Synonymy: = K1, misapplied; = Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. var. glauca (Hartm.) Lindm. – F, Il, RAB, WV, misapplied; = Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. ssp. cespitosa var. glauca (Hartm.) Lindm., misapplied; < Aira caespitosa L. – S; =? Deschampsia anadyrensis V.N.Vassil. – NE; < Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. – HC, S13, Va, W; < Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. ssp. caespitosa – K3; < Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. – C, NY, Pa, Tucker (1996); < Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. ssp. cespitosa – FNA24, K4; < Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv. var. cespitosa – G

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (name change)
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW (name change)
• Great Plains: FACW (name change)
• Midwest: FACW (name change)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACW (name change)

Heliophily ?: 9