| Dichanthelium lanuginosum | |
|---|---|
_1_(20797185616).jpg) | |
| InGibbon Geyser Basin, Yellowstone N.P. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Genus: | Dichanthelium |
| Species: | D. lanuginosum |
| Binomial name | |
| Dichanthelium lanuginosum (Ell.) Gould | |
Dichanthelium lanuginosum is a species ofrosette grass native to North America. It is most common in the central and eastern United States. It is found in a variety of habitats, mostly in open, dry areas.[1]
A variety,D. lanuginosum var.thermale, grows ingeothermal areas ofYellowstone National Park, United States. It is able to withstand high temperatures and highacidity in itsrhizosphere.[2] In 2007 it was found that the heat tolerance is conferred to the grass by asymbiosis between afungus and avirus. When it is colonised by the fungusCurvularia protuberata and the fungus is in turn colonised by a particular virus, the grass is able to tolerate soil temperatures of up to 65 °C that would otherwise be lethal.[3] Due to the distinctiveness and isolation of this taxon, it is sometimes considered to be a separate species:Dichanthelium thermale.[1]
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