Koeleria macrantha Crested Hair-grass

A tufted, perennial grass which is somewhat stiff and wiry, rather variable in height (up to 50cm) but often short. It is a species of nutrient-poor, base-rich soils and in West Glamorgan is confined entirely to the calcareous, limestone grasslands of south Gower where it grows on the thin rendzina soils on the cliffs with other calcicoles such as Salad Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba), Horseshoe Vetch (Securigera comosa) and Squinacywort (Asperula cynanchica). The dense silvery-purple inflorescencs are quite distinctive but it is easy to overlook and sometimes confused with other similar grasses. It is not very tolerant of disturbance and it has been lost from many sites in Britain as a result of agricultural improvement.

Native