FLORA
> Chaetopogon fasciculatus
Family: Gramineae
The Chaetopogon fasciculatus has very sober flowers, without colourful petals or sepals, since its pollination is made by the wind, and therefore it does not need to attract insects.
The flowers are grouped in spikelets protected by two bracts (glumes) with a long awn that facilitates seed dispersion. They frequently form dense reddish grass mats in the pond banks, which together are quite appealing.
It exists in meadows in the border of temporary ponds and other periodically humid zones inserted in pastures, fallows, searas, xerophilic scrubs and sobreirais. In acidic, sandy or schistous soils, with some temporary moisture.
The subspecies Chaetopogon fasciculatus (Link) Hayek subsp. prostratus (Hack. & Lange) Laínz is typical of Mediterranean Temporary Ponds.
It is found in Southern Europe and Northwest Africa.
In Portugal it has a fragmented distribution.
This subspecies typical of ponds, although frequently found along the central and southern coastline of Portugal, is becoming rarer in the remaining territory, and has already been included in the Red Book of Flora in Spain.
