Molinia arundinacea

Molinia arundinacea, the tall purple moor-grass or reed moor-grass, is a stout densely tufted perennial grass in the family Poaceae native to central and southern Europe and western Asia, occurring in damp meadows, fen edges, river floodplains, swampy woodland clearings, and base-rich peaty ground. It is closely related to and often confused with the smaller, more widespread Molinia caerulea but is distinguished by its greater stature and broader leaves. Plants form large compact tussocks 60-200 cm tall, with deeply rooted fibrous bases and unbranched erect culms that are noted, like those of M. caerulea, for lacking aerial nodes — all internodes are basal, a unique character among European grasses. The leaves are flat, broad (5-12 mm wide), 30-60 cm long, bright green to glaucous, with a tuft of long hairs at the ligule region. The inflorescence is a large open or somewhat contracted panicle 15-40 cm long, the slender branches at first appressed and later spreading, bearing many narrow purplish to purplish-green spikelets 5-10 mm long, each with 2-5 florets. Flowering occurs in late summer; the foliage turns golden-yellow in autumn, lending the plant ornamental value in landscape plantings.