Distichia muscoides is a species of plant in the rush family Juncaceae. It is native to the Andes of South America where it grows in upland wetland areas known as bofedales.
Description
Close-up
Distichia muscoides is a cushion plant, forming sheets or clumps of short, densely-packed, evergreen stems and leaves forming a firm, relatively flat surface; the individual shoots and leaves are only a few millimetres long and grow throughout the year. In favourable locations, growth can be as much as 5 cm (2 in) a year.
Distribution and habitat
Distichia muscoides is found at high altitudes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northwestern Argentina. It forms large cushions in the tropical Andes, dominating the flora of the high level, peat-accumulating uplands, locally known as "bofedales". These areas have high water tables and thick layers of peat up to about 5 m (16 ft) thick.
