Common quaking grass
Briza media
Common quaking grass is a perennial grass species that typically grows between 20 and 50 centimeters in height. It is characterized by its loose, often reddish-brown panicles with heart-shaped spikelets hanging on very slender stalks. These spikelets tremble at the slightest breeze, which gives the plant its common name. As a characteristic species of nutrient-poor meadows, it prefers sunny locations on calcareous, nitrogen-deficient soils.
Details
Habitat function
Structure provider in grassland ecosystems and oviposition site for insects.
Nutrient uptake
Low; adapted to nutrient-poor conditions.
Food source for
Caterpillars of butterflies such as the Almond-eyed Ringlet (Erebia aethiops).
Human use
Popular ornamental grass for gardens and used in floristry for dried flower arrangements.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important component of species-rich nutrient-poor meadows; serves as a food plant for specialized insects.
Competitor species
Displaced by highly competitive tall grasses like False Oat-grass when nitrogen input is high.
Ecosystem service
Contributes to soil stability on slopes and promotes biodiversity in cultural landscapes.
Threats
Eutrophication through nitrogen deposition, agricultural intensification, and scrub encroachment on nutrient-poor grasslands.
Scientific profile
Profile
Reproduction
Generative via seeds and vegetative via short rhizomes (tussock expansion).
Protection & threats
Main threats
Eutrophication via atmospheric nitrogen deposition, intensification of land use (fertilization, frequent mowing), and abandonment of management leading to scrub encroachment.