Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila'

FOR THE PARENT SPECIES: HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 100–300 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-blades 60–200 cm long; 3–12 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. INFLORESCENCE Dioecious (by loss of viability in bisexual plants), or gynodioecious ("male", in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense; 25–100 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5 mm long; pilose. GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–14 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–14 mm long; 0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate. FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–18 mm long; hyaline; pallid, or purple; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma hairs 4–8 mm long. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate. Palea 0.3 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate. Staminodes present; 0.1–0.3 mm long. MALE Male inflorescence sometimes bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets distinct from female (glabrous). FOR THE PARENT SPECIES: Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, is a flowering plant native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is named.It is a tall grass, growing in dense tussocks that can reach a height of 3 m. The leaves are long and slender, 1 - long and 1 cm broad, with very sharp edges. The leaves are usually bluish-green, but can be silvery grey. FOR THE PARENT SPECIES: This South American grass has been introduced in temperate and subtropical areas mainly as an ornamental. It has also been introduced for erosion control and as a barrier or windbreak. For 'PUMILA': This dwarf cultivar has mid-green leaves and densely tufted plumes atop tall, upright stalks and arching mid-green leaves. Masses of silvery yellow plumes appear in late summer. 'Pumila' is a dwarf pampas grass with huge 18 inch feathery white plumes. The showy, silvery-cream plumes feel silky to the touch and are perfect for use in dried arrangements. Cortaderia 'Pumila' is a very good grower and much more cold hardy than the species. 'Pumila' thrives in hot, full sun exposures and is especially useful as a specimen along walls and in corners.