Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 5 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: hairawn muhly

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; slender; 60-100 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths without keel; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2-5 (-8) mm long. Leaf-blades curved; flat, or involute; 20-50 cm long; 1-2 (-4) mm wide. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 30-40 cm long; 8-17 (-20) cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches capillary. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform. Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent. Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1-1.5 (-2) mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1-veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1-1.5 (-2) mm long; 0.25-0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex erose; acute, or acuminate; awned; 1-awned. Upper glume awn 1.5 (-2.5) mm long. Florets: Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.5-4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3-veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1-awned. Principal lemma awn flexuous; (2-) 5-13 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2-veined. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex acuminate. Flower: Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.5-2 mm long; purple. Fruit: Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform"  (GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora).

Habitat/ecology:  "Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soils but can tolerate many soil types. It has a low tolerance for high pH soils and a high tolerance for salinity"  (USDA NRCS Fact Sheet).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and Caribbean  (GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	Clayton, W.D./Harman, K.T./Williamson, H. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011) AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Fact sheet from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (PDF).

Additional online information about Muhlenbergia capillaris is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Muhlenbergia capillaris as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Muhlenbergia capillaris may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Clayton, W.D./Harman, K.T./Williamson, H. 2011. World Grass Species: Descriptions, Identification, and Information Retrieval [GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora]. The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.