Danthonia decumbens
Tracheophyta
›Magnoliopsida›Poaceae›Danthonia›Danthonia decumbens
Ecology
A densely tufted perennial herb of pastures, heathy grassland and moorland, favouring mildly acidic soils. It is also found in calcareous swards, including chalk and limestone grassland, but is then rooted into more acidic, superficial or leached horizons. It is frequent too in damp montane grassland. It spreads by seed and seems to have a persistent seed bank. 0-595 m (Tal-y-fan, Caerns.) and possibly at 1040 m on Macgillycuddy`s Reeks (S. Kerry).
Status
Native
Trends
D. decumbens, mapped as `all records` in the 1962 Atlas, has declined in many areas of England and Ireland since 1950, presumably with the loss of permanent pastures.
World Distribution
European Temperate element.
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Broad Habitats
Light (Ellenberg): 7
Moisture (Ellenberg): 6
Reaction (Ellenberg): 4
Nitrogen (Ellenberg): 2
Salt Tolerance (Ellenberg): 0
January Mean Temperature (Celsius): 3.5
July Mean Temperature (Celsius): 14.3
Annual Precipitation (mm): 1160
Height (cm): 40
Perennation - primary
Perennial
Life Form - primary
Hemicryptophyte
Woodiness
Herbaceous
Clonality - primary
Tussock-forming graminoid, may slowly spread
Count of 10km squares in Great Britain: 2368
Count of 10km squares in Ireland: 814
Count of 10km squares in the Channel Isles: 11
Atlas Change Index: -0.4
Weighted Changed Factor: 29
Weighted Change Factor Confidence (90%)
17
JNCC Designations
NBNSYS0000002500