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Muhlenbergia uniflora — bog muhly

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Facts

Bog muhly is a species of sandy or peaty soils of wet sites such as pond shores, depressions and wet meadows.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), bogs, fens, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Leaf blade width
0.8–2 mm
Inflorescence branches
the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
Spikelet length
1.3–2.1 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 mm
Leaf ligule length
0.5–1.5 mm
Anther length
0.6–0.9 mm
Show all characteristics

  • Flowers

    Anther length
    0.6–0.9 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 spread out, with clearly-evident branches
    Inflorescence length
    20–200 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
    NA
    Lemma awn length
    0 mm
    Lemma awn number
    the lemma has no awn
    Lemma base hairs
    the lemma is hairless or feels just a tiny bit rough 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 longer than lemma
    • 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
    1.3–2.1 mm
    Spikelet pedicel
    the spikelets have pedicels
    Spikelet pedicel length
    0.2–7 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
    0.8–2 mm
    Leaf ligule length
    0.5–1.5 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
    wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • bogs
    • fens
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • meadows or fields
    • shores of rivers or lakes

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Stem spacing
    the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)

In New England

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
uncommon (S-rank: S3)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

12.  Muhlenbergia uniflora (Muhl.) Fern. N

bog muhly. Agrostis serotina Torr.; Sporobolus serotinus Gray; S. uniflorus (Muhl.) Scribn. & Merr. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Sandy and/or peaty soils of pond shores, boggy depressions, abandoned borrow pits, and fen-like meadows.

Native to North America?

Yes and no (some introduced)

Sometimes confused with

Agrostis perennans:
leaf blades 2-5 mm wide and glumes as long as or longer than the lemma (vs. M. uniflora, with leaf blades 0.8-2 mm wide and glumes shorter than the lemma)
Muhlenbergia capillaris:
lemmas usually with an awn 2–18 mm long, leaf blades 2–4 mm wide, and pedicels mostly 10–40 (vs. M. uniflora, with lemmas without an awn, leaf blades 0.8–2 mm wide, and pedicels mostly 3–7 mm long).

Synonyms

  • Agrostis serotina Torr.
  • Sporobolus serotinus Gray
  • Sporobolus uniflorus (Muhl.) Scribn. & Merr.

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Muhlenbergia