Recording Deergrasses

Vernacular names

Trichophorum cespitosum sensu stricto has already an accepted vernacular name, “Northern Deergrass”.

In Sedges of the British Isles (BSBI, Ed. 3) T. germanicum is called simply “Deergrass”, after New Flora of the British Isles, Edtion 3 (Stace). The problem is then that the term “deergrass” is ambiguous, and can be used either as a group/aggregate name, or for the common species.

I have pressed for unique vernacular names, T. germanicum to be called (I suggested, with crushing logic) “Common Deergrass”, and Clive Stace agreed to use this as the vernacular in the recent (2019) fourth edition of ‘Stace’. My suggested “Hybrid Deergrass” was not adopted. I have used these names in this website.

My own view is that the use of simple vernacular names like these both in conversation or more formally helps to reduce confusion for those new to the group's intricacies!

Once you have sussed out the three taxa, you’ll be wanting to record them separately, and not merely as the aggregate...

In any system for data-input, please be very careful NOT to enter “Trichophorum cespitosum” when you intend Common Deergrass, T. germanicum!

The two species may be found in some systems at subspecies rank:

T. cespitosum = Trichophorum cespitosum subspecies cespitosum, and

T. germanicum = T. cespitosum subspecies germanicum.

The hybrid may appear as Trichophorum cespitosum nothosubspecies foersteri.

Entering from BRC codes

These are the BRC codes:

  •      T. cespitosum, Northern Deergrass: 1858.1
  •      T. germanicum, Common Deergrass: 1858.2
  •      T. × foersteri, Hybrid Deergrass: 1858.3

BSBI Distribution Database

This is the dropdown menu that appears in BSBI's Distribution Database for ‘trichophorum’ in the Taxon field. I have indicated what taxa are selected with each option:

DDb options for Trichophorum selection narrow

MapMate

Thanks to Phill Brown for the following.
If entering records by name: after typing in “trichop” you should get the following selection:

“Trichophorum cespitosum (Northern Deergrass)
Trichophorum cespitosum nothosubsp. foersteri (T. cespitosum subsp. cespitosum x subsp. germanicum)
Trichophorum germanicum (Deergrass)
Trichophorum germanicum agg. (Deergrass)”

This annotated screengrab should indicate which entry to use:

MapMate Trichophorum choices


Do let me know how I can improve this page, especially with advice for entering on other systems.

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