''Calamagrostis intermedia'' is a species of
grass
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
in the family
Poaceae
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
. It is native to South America, growing in high elevation grasslands and forest clearings. Its range extends from Colombia to Argentina.
Description
''Calamagrostis intermedia'' is a perennial grass growing from a short, rounded
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
. It grows in tussocks and can reach a height of . There are no stipules; the leaves are upright, linear, with entire edges and incurved margins, giving a wiry, cylindrical effect. The
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
is a lax, terminal
panicle
A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...
up to tall, only just longer than the leaves. The flowers are bisexual with purple spikelets, densely pubescent and narrowly fusiform.
Distribution
This species is native to South America where it occurs in the foothills and high elevation grasslands of the Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
and other mountain ranges. It is the dominant plant in the grassy páramo
Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...
in the El Cajas National Park
El Cajas National Park or Cajas National Park ( es, Parque Nacional El Cajas) is a national park in the highlands of Ecuador. It is located about 30 km west from Cuenca, the capital of the province of Azuay. The area of 285.44 km2 ( ...
in Ecuador.[
]
Ecology
Previously a largely uninhabited wilderness, the páramo grasslands are coming under increased pressure from the grazing of cattle, as human populations expand from lower elevations and use is made of the high elevation grassland. Fire is often used to encourage the growth of young succulent grass shoots. ''C. intermedia'' can survive the fires, resprouting from the base, but some flowering plants are killed by fire. Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
and damage to the soil caused by the feet of the cattle also adversely affect the natural vegetation and reduces biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
.
Uses
This grass is known locally as "paja" or "paja chamik" and is used as fodder for livestock. It is also cut and used for the construction of huts, roofs and baskets.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15484808
intermedia
Intermedia is an art theory term coined in the mid-1960s by Fluxus artist Dick Higgins to describe various interdisciplinarity art activities that occur between genres, beginning in the 1960s. It was also used by John Brockman to refer to works ...
Flora of Ecuador