About Deschampsia antarctica É.Desv.
Deschampsia antarctica É.Desv., commonly known as Antarctic hair grass, is one of only two flowering plant species native to Antarctica. The other native flowering plant is Colobanthus quitensis, called Antarctic pearlwort. Antarctic hair grass occurs mainly on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands, and along the western Antarctic Peninsula. Its distribution largely depends on soil nutrient supply and water distribution in the area. Deschampsia antarctica has been recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the southernmost flowering plant. In 1981, a specimen of this species was found on the Refuge Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of 68°21′S. Since 2009, both D. antarctica and C. quitensis have been spreading rapidly. Studies suggest this rapid spread is the result of rising air temperatures and a reduction in the number of fur seals. In Antarctica, this plant grows in low clumps within wet, protected habitats.
