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Leander, Bruce
Muhlenbergia rigida (Kunth) Trin.
Purple muhly
Poaceae (Grass Family)
USDA Symbol: muri3
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.
Purple muhly is a densely tufted perennial with erect stems, 2-3 1/3 ft. tall. Leaves are crowded at the base among persistent old sheaths. The seed head is dark purple; narrow at the base and becoming loose and open at the top of its 6-12 in. length.
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.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Fruit Type: Achene , Caryopsis
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Time: Sep , Oct , NovDistribution
USA: AZ , NM , TXNative Distribution: W. TX to AZ & n. Mex.
Native Habitat: High elevation, Hillsides, Slopes
USDA Native Status: L48(N)
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky or gravelly soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay
Conditions Comments: Not Available
Propagation
Propagation Material: Clump DivisionDescription: Not Available
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Not Available
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-PM-21 Collected 2010-11-04 in Jeff Davis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBibliography
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. WasowskiBibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
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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.
View Recommended Species pageAdditional resources
USDA: Find Muhlenbergia rigida in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Muhlenbergia rigida in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Muhlenbergia rigida
Metadata
Record Modified: 2010-04-18Research By: TWC Staff
