Molinia caerulea: Purple Moor-Grass
A Deciduous Grass
Brief Overview
Molinia caerulea, also known as Purple Moor-Grass, is a deciduous grass which is native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the few grasses that loses its leaves which is apparently an adaptation to drought.
Molina caerulea: Purple Moor Grass
Molinia caerulea in winter
Illustration shows the structure of Molinia caerulea.
Origin - The earliest fossil pollen of plants similar to Poaceae, the family to which Purple Moor-Grass belongs, was first reported from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene and Eocene (0-70 Mya) but it was not until the Oligocene (33.9 – 23.03 Mya) when the first accepted megafossil remains of grasses was discovered.
A purple panicle after which Molinia caerulea got its common name, Purple Moor-Grass. It reproduces both vegetatively and sexually, and its seeds are wind-dispersed.
A sapsucker is just one of the many invertebrates who inhabits the leaves of the Purple Moor-Grass plant. Other insects include leaf browsers, caterpillars and chequered skipper butterflies.
Purple Moor-Grass is adapted to disturbance such as mowing, burning and grazing.
Distribution of Molinia caerulea in the UK. There is one dot for every one observation of Purple Moor- Grass per 10 sq. km.
Number of observations by month in the UK, revealing its deciduous nature in that it is seen most often in the summer months.
Occurrence by Country in the United Kingdom
Distribution of Molinia caerulea. The heavy black line extends from the UK on the left, north to encompass Scandinavia, east to central Asia, and south through the northern part of the Mediterranean. This indicates its native region with outliers displayed displayed as black dots.
An interactive map which highlights the biodiversity of vegetation communities associated with Molinia caerulea (purple moor-grass) in the UK.
