''Sesleria autumnalis'', commonly known as autumn moor grass, 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 ...

within 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 southeastern Europe and often used as ornamental ground cover in North America.

Taxonomy

The first recorded description of the species is attributed to

Giovanni Antonio Scopoli Giovanni Antonio Scopoli (sometimes Latinisation of names, Latinized as Johannes Antonius Scopolius) (3 June 1723 – 8 May 1788) was an Italian physician and natural history, naturalist. His biographer Otto Guglia named him the "first anational ...

, who referred to it as ''Phleum autumnale'' in the second edition of his book, ''Flora Carniolica'', which was published in 1771.

Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz (3 January 1804 – 30 December 1876) was a German pharmacist and botanist who was a native of Zweibrücken. He initially learned the pharmacy profession at his father's store in Zweibrücken. In 1827 be began studie ...

gave the species its current name, ''Sesleria autumnalis'' in his book ''Archives de Flore''. The species has been referred to by several

heterotypic synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

s, including: ''Sesleria elongata'', ''Aira alba'', and ''Sesleria argentea var. elongata''.

Description

''Sesleria autumnalis'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

. Its

blades A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historic ...

are phyllotactic and overhanging, with v-shaped cross sections. In the autumn it changes in color, from light-green to a yellowish brown. It flowers in late summer, when spikelets grow in groups of three on the end of leafless stems.

Distribution and habitat

In its natural habitat, ''S. autumnalis'' is often found in wooded regions and grassy or sparsely covered areas. The species is common in the Balkan Peninsula and on the calcite mountains of the eastern

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

.Theurillar, Jean-Paul; Aeschimann, D.;Küpfer, Philippe; Spichiger, R. (1995).
The Higher Vegetation Units of the Alps
. ''Colloq Phytosociol''. Volume 23: p. 189-239.

Cultivation

''Sesleria autumnalis'' is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It has received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15522438 autumnalis Grasses of Europe