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- Dichotomous Key
- Poaceae
- Poaceae Group 7
- Muhlenbergia
- Muhlenbergia racemosa
Muhlenbergia racemosa — marsh muhly
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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.
Facts
Marsh muhly is an exotic visitor to Maine and New Hampshire, that prefers dry, disturbed sites such as railways and roadsides.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 3–8 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
- 0–5 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.6–1.7 mm
- Anther length
- 0.4–0.8 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.4–0.8 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 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 congested (crowded), and the branches may not be clearly seen without close inspection
- Inflorescence length
- 8–160 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
-
- the inflorescence is a spike, or is spike-like, lacking obvious branches
- 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
- 0–5 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
- 3–8 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed length
- 1.2–2.3 mm
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.6–1.7 mm
- Leaf ligule type
-
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs
- 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 hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
None
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
6. Muhlenbergia racemosa (Michx.) B.S.P. E
marsh muhly. Agrostis racemosa Michx. • ME, NH. Dry, often disturbed, soil of railroads, roadsides, and other open areas. Reports of this species from VT are based on a specimen of Muhlenbergia glomerata.