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Native Plant Database

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Muhlenbergia mexicana (L.) Trin.

Mexican muhly, Leafy satingrass, Wirestem muhly

Poaceae (Grass Family)

USDA Symbol: mume2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The genus of this plant is named for Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815), also Heinrich Ludwig Muehlenberg, or Henry Muhlenberg, who was a German-educated Lutheran minister and the first president of Franklin College, now Franklin and Marshall College, Pennsylvania. He is most famous due to his work in the field of botany. An accomplished botanist, chemist, and minerologist, Henry is credited with classifying and naming 150 species of plants in his 1785 work Index Flora Lancastriensis. Muhlenbergs work and collaboration with European botanists led to great advances in the study of plants and earned him the distinction as Americas first outstanding botanist.

Fine-textured grass, adaptable to disturbed areas. (Ontario Native Plants 2002)

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DE , HI , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NB , NS , ON
Native Habitat: Prairie/Meadow/Field,Wet Meadow/Prairie/Field
USDA Native Status: L48(N), HI(I), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Muhlenbergia mexicana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Muhlenbergia mexicana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Muhlenbergia mexicana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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