| Dichanthelium lanuginosum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Dichanthelium |
| Species: | D. lanuginosum |
| Binomial name | |
| Dichanthelium lanuginosum |
|
Dichanthelium lanuginosum (Panic grass) is a species of grass. It grows in geothermal areas of Yellowstone National Park, USA. It is able to withstand high temperatures and high acidity in its rhizosphere.[1] In 2007 it was found that the heat tolerance is conferred to the grass by a symbiosis between a fungus and a virus. When it is colonised by the fungus Curvularia protuberata and the fungus is in turn colonised by a particular virus, the grass is able to tolerate soil temperatures of up to 65°C that would otherwise be lethal.[2]