Muhlenbergia capillaris — hair-awned muhly
![Inflorescences: Muhlenbergia capillaris. ~ By William Cullina. ~ Copyright © 2024 William Cullina. ~ bill[at]williamcullina.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/muhlenbergia-capillaris-in-wcullina.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Muhlenbergia capillaris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/muhlenbergia-capillaris-in-ahaines.jpg)
![Plant form: Muhlenbergia capillaris. ~ By William Cullina. ~ Copyright © 2024 William Cullina. ~ bill[at]williamcullina.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/muhlenbergia-capillaris-ha-wcullina.jpg)
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Facts
Hair-awned muhly is a rare native from Connecticut and Massachusetts. It inhabits rocky forests and woodlands where it occurs on ridges and trap rock. Fire increases seed production, and may facilitate population growth, but New England occurrences appear to be in decline. From a distance the diffusely-branched, long-awned inflorescences form a reddish, mist-like cloud, making this species popular in horticulture.
Habitat
Cliffs, balds, or ledges, forests, ridges or ledges, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Leaf blade width
- 2–4 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 3–5 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has an awn
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0–18 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.8–10 mm
- Anther length
- 1.5–2 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 1.5–2 mm
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has an awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume veins
-
- 1
- 3
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Inflorescence crowding
- the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
- Inflorescence length
- 150–600 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn length
- 0–18 mm
- Lemma awn number
-
- the lemma has no awn
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma base hairs
- the lemma has hairs at the base
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is V-shaped if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma vein number
- 3
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet length
- 3–5 mm
- Spikelet pedicel
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelet pedicel length
- 10–50 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–4 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.8–10 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
- Leaf sheath hairs
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- forests
- ridges or ledges
- woodlands
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), #NAME? (code: #NAME?)
var. capillaris
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin. NC
hair-awned muhly. Stipa capillaris Lam. • CT, MA. Rocky forests and woodlands, ridges, ledges, often occurring on trap rock.
Native to North America?
Yes