Deschampsia antarctica mainly occurs on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands, and along the western Antarctic Peninsula.[2]Deschampsia antartica distribution largely depends on the area's nutrient supply of the soil and its water distribution.[3]Deschampsia antarctica has been recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the southernmost flowering plant. In 1981, a specimen was found on the Antarctic Peninsula's Refuge Islands at a latitude of 68°21′S.[4][5] Since 2009, both D.antarctica and C. quitensis have been spreading rapidly, which studies suggest has been the result of rising air temperatures and a reduction in the number of fur seals.[6]
In Antarctica, the plant can be found forming low clumps in wet, protected habitats.[2]
^ a bRudolph, E. D. (1965). "Antarctic Lichens and Vascular Plants: Their Significance". BioScience. 15 (4): 285–287. doi:10.2307/1293425. ISSN 0006-3568. JSTOR 1293425.
^Androsiuk, Piotr; Chwedorzewska, Katarzyna J.; Dulska, Justyna; Milarska, Sylwia; Giełwanowska, Irena (2020-12-16). "Retrotransposon-based genetic diversity of Deschampsia antarctica Desv. from King George Island (Maritime Antarctic)". Ecology and Evolution. 11 (1): 648–663. doi:10.1002/ece3.7095. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 7790655.