Muhly (5)
Mountain Muhly
Muhlenbergia montana
Family:
Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
September 5, 2011
Location:
Capulin National Monument, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to subalpine
Habitat:
Dry, open areas
Grows to 3 feet tall in tufts. Side stems are short giving a long, narrow flower spike. Flower spikelets are about 3mm long and tipped with a 10mm bristle (awn).
Scratchgrass
Muhlenbergia asperifolia
Family:
Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
September 15, 2011
Location:
White Rock, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Open, disturbed areas
Grows to 2 feet with shiny, slightly flattened stems. The flower head is a very open, wispy array of many hair-thin, outstretched branches. The few purplish flower spikelets are at the branch end and have no bristle (awn).
Ring Muhly
Muhlenbergia torreyi
Family:
Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
September 13, 2014
Location:
Great Sand Dunes NP, CO
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Dry open areas
Grows low in a ring with curved leaves. The flower stem grows to 12" high. The flower heads are branched and spreading with the flowers at the branch ends. The flower spikelets are purplish and have awns.
Thurber's Muhly
Muhlenbergia thurberi
Family:
Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
October 18, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Moist soil in seeps near canyon cliffs and rock crevices
Grows to 14" high in a clump with very thin stems. Leaves are at the base of the stem and are also very thin and about 1" long. The flower head is a slender spike 1"-2" long. The flower spikelets are tiny and break off at maturity.
Sandhill Muhly
Muhlenbergia pungens
Family:
Grass (Poaceae)
AKA:
Wickiup Grass
Photo taken on:
June 1, 2021
Location:
FS Rd 84, Carson NF, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Sandy soils, desert shrub, canyons
Grows 4" to 24" high. It often forms large rounded clumps or rings, with it dying out in the center. Leaf blades are rigid, rolled inward and sharply tipped. The flower head is open, 3" to 6" long and 3" wide with hair-like branches. The flowers are purplish and may have tiny awns (bristles).