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Muhlenbergia schreberi — nimblewill muhly

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New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Facts

Nimblewill muhly is a grass of moist to wet, usually disturbed soils in all New England states.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

Habitat
  • terrestrial
  • wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Leaf blade width
1–4.5 mm
Inflorescence branches
the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
Spikelet length
1.8–2.8 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
1.5–5 mm
Leaf ligule length
0.2–0.5 mm
Anther length
0.2–0.5 mm
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Anther length
    0.2–0.5 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
    30–150 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
    1.5–5 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 flat or rounded 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
    1.8–2.8 mm
    Spikelets spiny
    the spikelets do not appear spiny
    Upper glume length
    0.1–0.3 mm
    Upper glume shape
    the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

  • Growth form

    Rhizomes
    no

  • Leaves

    Leaf auricles
    the leaves do not have auricles
    Leaf blade width
    1–4.5 mm
    Leaf ligule length
    0.2–0.5 mm
    Leaf ligule type
    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 hairs
    there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

  • Place

    Habitat
    • terrestrial
    • wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • shores of rivers or lakes

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Roots at lower stem nodes
    yes
    Stem spacing
    • the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
    • the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)

New England distribution and conservation status

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
widespread (S-rank: S5)
Vermont
rare (S-rank: S2)

Native to North America?

Yes and no (some introduced)

Sometimes confused with

Muhlenbergia richardsonis:
stems cespitose, callus of the lemma glabrous, and glumes small, but evident (vs. M. schreberi, with stems sprawling, rotting at nodes, not forming forms, callus of lemma pubescent, and glumes minute and veinless).

Synonyms

  • Muhlenbergia schreberi J.F. Gmel. var. palustris (Scribn.) Scribn.

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Muhlenbergia

Help

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae

8.  Muhlenbergia schreberi J.F. Gmel. N

nimblewill muhly. Muhlenbergia schreberi J.F. Gmel. var. palustris (Scribn.) Scribn. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Mesic to wet-mesic, often disturbed, soils of lawns, trail edges, roadsides, gardens, and stream courses.

3×8. Muhlenbergia frondosa × Muhlenbergia schreberi → Muhlenbergia ×‌curtisetosa Scribn. is a rare hybrid grass in New England 
known from VT. It combines some features of each parent, sometimes being rhizomatous and often rooting from the lower 1 or 2 nodes (but not as weak and sprawling as 
 M. schreberi, which always lacks rhizomes). Its lower and upper glumes are 0.4–1.5 mm and 0.8–1.9 mm long, respectively (those of M. frondosa are subequal and 2–4 mm 
long, and those of M. schreberi are distinctly unequal—the lower rudimentary or lacking, the upper 0.1–0.3 mm long).