Danthonia (compressa)

Quicksand USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center 175 Robinson Road Quicksand, Kentucky 41363 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov

---

Family Scientific Name:	Poaceae
Family Common Name:	Grass
Scientific Name:	Danthonia compressa
Common Name:	Mountain Oatgrass
General Distribution:	Meadows, open woods, open ground in moist or dry woods. It was collected along paths or open areas where little or no other vegetation was competing. At the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this species is found at high and low elevations from Quebec to Georgia, mostly in the Appalachian Mountains.
Propagation Goal:	seeds
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.)
Time To Grow:	0
Propagule Collection:	Collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Propagule Processing:	EASE OF COLLECTION: Collected by hand stripping plants. Seed is small and light. Seed ripening is uneven and seed shatters readily at maturity. Plants collected vegetatively were pulled or dug from site, divided into smaller planting units, and transplanted directly to the field in April 1992. Seed collection is very time-consuming and quality of seed is questionable. Large amounts of seed are limited in the Park. TYPE OF MATERIAL COLLECTED FOR PROPAGATION: Seed, vegetative material. METHOD OFCLEANING: Hammermill, clipper fanning mill, food blender, and hand screens. UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS: Seed is difficult to clean because of its small size and light, chaffy seedhead material. Large lots of seed may allow for the use of a huller, which would make cleaning easier. NUMBER OF SEEDS PER POUND: Data not available at date of publication. PERCENT GERMINATION: Data not available at date of publication.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	PRETREATMENT USED: None.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	PROPAGATION METHOD: Seed, vegetative transplants. Seed was directly sown to field in September and August 1990 and 1991, respectively. Germination was spotty, and stand poor. Vegetative transplants in 1992 had excellent survival. Propagation from seed in the greenhouse for transplanting to the field is being attempted in 1993. Germination has been poor. Seed was also planted August 13, 1992 in the field.
Active Growth Phase:	METHOD OF GROWING: From seed: seed was planted at 80 seeds (bulk)/Iinear foot in 42-inch spaced rows using a Planet Jr. (Plate planter). Seeding was not successful. Attempts to seed with a belt seeder were also unsuccessful as seed did not drop properly. Seed planted by hand had fair germination. Plants were very small at freeze-up. Soil washing due to excess rain covered many of the seedlings in the fall of 1992. Seedlings are very shallow-rooted and noncompetitive. Weeds may compete severely with this species.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE HARVESTING OR DIGGING REQUIREMENTS: Field size is very small at this time at the QPMC. Seed has been harvested by hand stripping at various times because of the uneven ripening. SEED MATURITY DATE: Data not available at date of publication. STORAGE REQUIREMENTS: Unknown. Seed was stored in airtight containers in cold storage (relative humidity less than 50%, temperature less than 50§F). ESTIMATED PROPAGULE STORAGE POTENTIAL: Data unavailable at date of publication.

Citation:

2001. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.) Danthonia compressa seeds USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center Quicksand, Kentucky. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/20). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.