Arctagrostis latifolia
Species of grass from the high Arctic
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Arctagrostis latifolia has a global circumpolar distribution. In North America, its native range includes Alaska, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Québec, Ontario, Newfoundland, Manitoba, Labrador and Greenland. In Europe its range includes Finland, Norway, Svalbard, North European Russia and East European Russia. In Asia it includes West Siberia, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Kazakhstan, Kamchatka, Yakutsk and Mongolia.
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Description
Arctagrostis latifolia is a long-lived, mat-forming perennial grass. It has a horizontal, much-branched rhizome from which aerial shoots up to 6 cm (2 in) long emerge at intervals, each surrounded by a tuft of leaves, some reduced in size. Most of these shoots are leafy, with broad, flat leaves, and only a few bear flowering stems. The inflorescence is a dark violet, narrowly elongate panicle some 5–7 cm (2–3 in) long with short branches, borne on a stout 10–20 cm (4–8 in) stalk.
Ecology
Grasses of the subarctic region are an important constituent of the Arctic tundra. With other cold-resistant species in the related genera Alopecurus, Beckmannia, Holcus and Deschampsia, their high importance is due to their long life, good forage quality and the stable habitat they provide. As a polyploid species with polymorphic forms, Arctagrostis latifolia is highly tolerant to environmental stresses. In Svalbard, flowering is in August but few if any flowers set seed, and are often damaged by frost. Dispersal is mainly vegetative and clonal, with seeds, when present, dispersed in the achenes by the wind.