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Muhlenbergia montana
Muhlenbergia montana (Nutt.) Hitchc.
Mountain Muhly
Poaceae (Grass Family)
Synonym(s): Muhlenbergia trifida
USDA Symbol: MUMO
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Mountain Muhly is a strongly tufted perennial grass, 8-32 in. tall, with loose, narrow panicles and light-green leaves.
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. Muhlenberg's work and collaboration with European botanists led to great advances in the study of plants and earned him the distinction as America's first outstanding botanist.
From the Image Gallery
No images of this plant
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 32 inches tall.
Leaf: Green
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Jun , Jul
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , CO , MT , NM , TX , UT , WYNative Distribution: WY to TX & s. Mex., w. to UT & CA; one collection from MT, locality unknown
Native Habitat: Rocky mt. slopes, canyons, mesas & forest openings
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Rocky soils.
Propagation
Description: Sow seed.Seed Treatment: No treatment is necessary.
Commercially Avail: yes
Find Seed or Plants
Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.
View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | UPL | FACU | UPL |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Additional resources
USDA: Find Muhlenbergia montana in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Muhlenbergia montana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Muhlenbergia montana
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-01-25Research By: TWC Staff