Poaceae
Muhlenbergia

Muhlenbergia arenacea (Buckley) Hitchc.

First published in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 41: 161 (1928)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Arizona to S. Colorado and N. Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated. Culms decumbent; 10-20(-40) cm long. Culm-internodes striate; antrorsely scabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1-2 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or involute; 1-3(-6) cm long; 0.5-1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 5-15 cm long; 4-12 cm wide. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 1.5-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 1.5-2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.9-1.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9-1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.5-2 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.
Distribution
North America: northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gould.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0