Muhlenbergia sylvatica

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms decumbent; slender; 40–100 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes retrorsely scabrous; distally pubescent. Lateral branches ample; arising from mid culm. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 4–18 cm long; 2–8 mm wide; light green.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 4–8 cm long.

Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; loose; 5–15 cm long; 0.3–0.6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.2–3.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.9–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate, or setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.9–3 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate, or setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.2–3.2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–10(–18) mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.5–0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: eastern Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gould.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.