Species Detail Grasses

Plant - University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin State Herbarium. Usage Rights: Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Muhlenbergia mexicana - Mexican muhly Synonyms: Agrostis mexicana, Muhlenbergia ambigua, Muhlenbergia foliosa Other Common Names: leafy satingrass, wirestem muhly, Muhlenbergie Mexicaine Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Native Season: Warm Habitat Description: Found in moist soils, often in meadows, woodlands, along stream banks, and creeks. Plant Communities:Riparian Elevation: 5000 - 11000 feet General Description Desc: Perennial with scaly, vigorously creeping rhizomes. Stems are 12 to 36 inches tall, erect and much branched above the base. Identification Notes: Rhizomatous perennial; blades flat at maturity; ligules 1 mm long or less; seedhead of contracted branches; spikelets on short stems often purple tinged; glumes 1-nerved; awned or unawned; lemmas less than 1 mm with short hairs. Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: Y Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): Y Height with Seedheads: 24 to 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Jul - Oct Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Less than 1/4 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedhead is up to 10 inches long, spike-like and branched, appressed or diverging to 30 degrees from the main axis. The axillary seedheads are borne on long stalks rising above the leaf sheaths. Spikelets are borne on short stalks and are purplish. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: Y Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Flat Blade Notes: Flat blades are 3/4 to 7-3/4 inches long, 1/8 inch wide, rough or smooth. Blades on secondary branches are similar in length and width to those of the main branches. Sheath Hairy: N Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N Ligules: Membranous and hairy Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N Forage Value: Fair to good.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer