Hierochloe odorata

Fragrant sweetgrass ( Hierochloe odorata )

The Fragrant sweetgrass ( Hierochloe odorata ), also known as fragrance -Marie grass, vanilla grass, sweet grass or as Bison Grass, is a grass kumarinhaltiges within the family of grasses ( Poaceae ). It smells fragrant with wild and was used in the worship of the Virgin Mary, to which the German name refers. In North America it is also known as "Sweet Grass" or "Vanilla Grass".

Etymology

The scientific name is of Greek origin and means "sacred grass " by hieros = holy; chloé = grass. The specific epithet odoratus, - a,-um is Latin and means fragrant, fragrant.

Distribution and location

The Fragrant sweetgrass is widespread throughout Europe, Asia and North America, but is mostly just scattered to rare. It is a rare grass wet grassy sites in swamp forests, moor grass ( Molinion companies), small harrows vineyards ( Caricetalia fuscae companies) and on river banks.

It prefers to grow in moist to wet, boggy mostly but also sandy, moderately nutrient - and base-rich, mostly nitrogen-poor, moderately acidic and rich soils. Its ecological behavior can be based on the indicator values ​​according to Ellenberg classified as follows: L-6, T-6, K -7, F-9, R- 4, N- 2, S -0.

Description

The grass is a perennial herbaceous plant with long thin rhizomes. It forms dense clumps or patches. The stalks are thin, grow upright and have only a few nodes. You can reach heights between 20 and 50 centimeters. They are smooth and slightly rough just below the inflorescence or sometimes smooth. The ligule ( ligules ) are dull and about 2 to 4 millimeters long. The leaf sheaths are finely roughened and rounded on the back. The lower leaf blades are up to 10 mm wide and up to 30 inches long. They are tapered slim, flat, sparsely hairy or bald and rough around the edges. The upper stem leaves are remarkably short. The undersides of leaves are green and glossy.

The inflorescences are loose, ovate - oval panicles with sinuous branches. They are 4 to 10 inches long and up to 8 inches wide. The Ährchenstiele are bald. The broadly elliptic, slightly plump spikelets are about 4 millimeters long and dreiblütig. You are at the base green or purple, golden brown up. The two lower spikelets are purely male, the upper one is bisexual. They break at maturity above the glumes, the individual flowers fall off closed. The broad, blunt, yellow brown glumes are persistent and slightly shorter or as long as the flowers. You are one to three annoying, keeled, trockenhäutig and shiny. The lower unbegrannten lemmas are broadly elliptical, very obtuse and 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters long. They are five annoying, rough and short hair at the edges. The palea have two very fine rough keels. The upper lemmas are short -haired at the top and three to five annoying. The three stamens ( anthers ) are up to 3 millimeters long. The grass flowers in the period from late March to May.

Threats and conservation

The Fragrant sweetgrass is centrally and Europe safely. In Germany, however, it is classified as vulnerable ( category 3) in the Red List of threatened vascular plants. The sources of risk are mainly falling into disuse, the draining and intensive grazing formerly extensively used fresh and wet meadows.

Use

Especially the bottom part of the leaves has an intense aroma and woodruff is used in perfumes, tobacco, sweets and drinks (eg Żubrówka ). The grass was dedicated to the Virgin Mary in some parts of Prussia and scattered on festival days before the church doors.