Deschampsia (Avenella) - Hair-grasses

Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted Hair-grass

This tall grass forms large tussocks, with a very distinctive and graceful panicle.  Spikelets often variegated with purple, silver and green, or similar colours.  Much-branched drooping panicle with multitude of small spikelets each containing two awned florets.  Awns not or hardly protruding beyond tips of glumes.

Deschampsia flexuosa - Wavy Hair-grass (Now Avenella flexuosa Stace 4th Ed.)

This is a beautiful grass of drier moorlands.

It has 2 flowers per spikelet, each with a protruding awn.  Panicle branches are wavy and hence the common name.

The two flowers are together at the same level in the spikelet, whereas in other similar species, they are at different heights.  The panicle branches are wavy.