Cortaderia selloana

American pampas grass ( Cortaderia selloana )

The American pampas grass ( Cortaderia selloana ) or silver pampas grass is a plant of the family Gramineae ( Poaceae ).

Description

The American pampas grass is an evergreen perennial, herbaceous plant that reaches the plant height 45-300 cm. This plant is usually dioecious Horst. The Horst consists of 1 to 2 meters long, dense, blue -green leaves. The leaf blades are hanging on the edge sharp and rough. The tightly or loosely related panicle is long ovate, silvery white or rarely yellowish, reddish or purple, feathery and later 30 to 100 inches long. The spikelets 3 - to 7- flowered and 15 to 18 millimeters long.

The flowering season lasts from August to November.

Occurrence

The American pampas grass comes in South America in Brazil, Uruguay and Chile to Central Argentina in the pampas on a sandy and alluvial soils before.

Use

The American pampas grass is variously used as an ornamental plant as a specimen plant, cut flower and dried bouquets. It is in culture at least since 1843. There are some cultivated forms, for example, with a pink panicle. Important species in Central Europe Andes Silver, Pumila, Patagonia and Sunningdale Silver.