Deschampsia (caespitosa)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Poaceae
Family Common Name:	Grass
Scientific Name:	Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv.
Common Synonym:	Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) Beauv.
Common Name:	Tufted hairgrass
Species Code:	DECA18
Ecotype:	near Moscow, Idaho
General Distribution:	Widespread in temperate portions of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. In North America it is found where soils are wet at least early in the growing season. It ranges from coastal marshes to alpine meadows from Alaska south to California and east to Maine, except the central and southern Great Plains and the southeastern US. Wetland indicator status is FACW (US Fish and Wildlife Service 1988).
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	10 cu. in.
Time To Grow:	4 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Seed ripens in late June or early July in the Pullman area. It is collected when the inflorescence begins to dry and the seed is in the soft to hard dough stage but before it shatters from the inflorescence. Seed can be stripped from the inflorescence or the inflorescence can be clipped from the plant. Harvested seed is stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned.
Propagule Processing:	Seed is grayish brown in color. Small amounts are rubbed to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are threshed with a hammermill, then cleaned with air screen equipment. Processing seed with a hammermill or a debearder will facilitate seed flow through cleaning equipment. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity. 1,500,000 seeds/lb (USDA 2006). 1,250,000 to 1,500,000 seeds/lb (Hassell 1996).
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Dormancy is sometimes encountered and may vary by ecotype. Laboratory germination is best with gibberillic acid and a 5 day prechill at 5 degrees centigrade (Chirco & Turner 1986). Cold storage and light may enhance germination (Walsh 1995). Seed from an Oregon alpine source required cool, moist stratification (Kaye 1997), while seed from a Colorado alpine environment germinated best at alternating temperatures without pretreatment (Sayers & Ward 1966). They also reported light to enhance germination. Seed from western Oregon requires no stratification (Rose et al 1998). Seed of the Moscow ecotype germinates well in the dark without pretreatment. 99% of the containers had at least one plant and many containers had to be thinned.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In January seed is sown in the greenhouse in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. Head space of ¬ to « inch is maintained in conetainers to allow deep watering. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent seeds from floating. Conetainers are watered deeply.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept moist until germination occurs. Germination usually begins in 7 days and is complete in 12 days.
Length of Establishment Phase:	2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every other day and fertilized once per week with a complete, water soluble fertilizer containing micro-nutrients. Plants may require water every day during the final part of the active growth period.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in late March or early April, depending on weather conditions. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2-4 weeks
References:	Chirco, Ellen, and Terry Turnoer. 1986. Species without AOSA Testing Procedures. The Newsletter of the Association of Official Seed Analysts 60(2):2-66. Available online at http://www.aosaseed.com/Species%20wo%20AOSA%20list%20plus%20adds.pdf. Updated November 11/10/03. Accessed 2/16/06. Guard, B. Jennifer. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon and Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Renton, WA. 238 p. Hassell, Wendell, W. Rocky Beavers, Steve Ouellette, and Thomas Mitchell. 1996. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species. USDI National Park Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 25 pp. Hitchcock, A.S. 1971. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd edition. Revised by Agnes Chase. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY. 2 volumes. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Kaye, T.N. 1997. Seed Dormancy in High Elevation Plants: Implications for Ecology and Restoration. In; Kaye, T.N., A. Liston, R.M. Love, D. Luoma, R.J. Meinke, and M.V. Wilson [editors]. Conservation and Management of Native Plants and Fungi. Native Plant Society of Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. Pohl, Richard. W. 1968. How to Know the Grasses. Wm. C. Brown Co., Publishers. Dubuque, Iowa. Rose, Robin, Caryn E.C. Chachulski, and Diane L. Haase. 1998. Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 248 pp. Sayers, Richard L., and Richard T. Ward. 1966. Germination Responses in Alpine Species. Botanical Gazette 127:11-16. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://www.ars-grin.gov2/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?448068 (02 February 2006). USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. US Fish and Wildlife Service. 1988. National list of vascular plant species that occur in wetlands. US Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 (24). Walsh, Roberta A. 1995. Deschampsia cespitosa. In: Fire Effects Information System, USDA, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [accessed 2/16/06]

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2006. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv. plants 10 cu. in.; USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.