176 Species of Genus Muhlenbergia

Muhlenbergia: A Love Affair with the Muhly Grasses

My name is Ferb Vu, and I have a confession to make: I’m utterly captivated by Muhlenbergia, the genus of grasses commonly known as the muhlys. These plants, with their airy inflorescences and graceful habits, have completely stolen my heart. Their beauty is a subtle one, not shouting for attention but whispering promises of delicate textures and captivating movement.

Perhaps it’s their adaptability that I admire most. Muhly grasses thrive in a variety of habitats, from arid deserts to moist meadows. They’re tough, resilient, and possess an understated elegance that I find incredibly appealing. They seem to embody the spirit of resilience, thriving where other plants struggle.

Or maybe it’s the sheer diversity within the genus that fascinates me. Over 175 species of Muhlenbergia exist, each with its own unique characteristics. Some, like Muhlenbergia capillaris, paint the landscape with clouds of pink inflorescences in the fall. Others, like Muhlenbergia rigens, stand tall and erect, their rigid stems creating a striking architectural presence.

A Closer Look at the Muhlys

  1. Muhlenbergia aguascalientensis Y.Herrera & De la Cerda
  2. Muhlenbergia alamosae Vasey
  3. Muhlenbergia alopecuroides (Griseb.) P.M.Peterson & Columbus
  4. Muhlenbergia andina (Nutt.) Hitchc.
  5. Muhlenbergia × angustata (J.Presl) Kunth
  6. Muhlenbergia annua (Vasey) Swallen
  7. Muhlenbergia appressa Goodd.
  8. Muhlenbergia arenacea (Buckley) Hitchc.
  9. Muhlenbergia arenicola Buckley
  10. Muhlenbergia argentea Vasey
  11. Muhlenbergia arizonica Scribn.
  12. Muhlenbergia arsenei Hitchc.
  13. Muhlenbergia articulata Scribn.
  14. Muhlenbergia asperifolia (Nees & Meyen ex Trin.) Parodi
  15. Muhlenbergia atacamensis Parodi
  16. Muhlenbergia aurea Swallen
  17. Muhlenbergia beyrichiana Kunth
  18. Muhlenbergia biloba Hitchc.
  19. Muhlenbergia brandegeei C.Reeder
  20. Muhlenbergia brevifolia Scribn. ex Beal
  21. Muhlenbergia breviligula Hitchc.
  22. Muhlenbergia brevis Goodd.
  23. Muhlenbergia breviseta E.Fourn.
  24. Muhlenbergia brevivaginata Swallen
  25. Muhlenbergia bryophilus (Döll) P.M.Peterson
  26. Muhlenbergia bushii R.W.Pohl
  27. Muhlenbergia californica Vasey
  28. Muhlenbergia capillaris (Lam.) Trin.
  29. Muhlenbergia capillipes (M.E.Jones) P.M.Peterson & Annable
  30. Muhlenbergia caxamarcensis Laegaard & Sánchez Vega
  31. Muhlenbergia cenchroides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) P.M.Peterson
  32. Muhlenbergia ciliata (Kunth) Kunth
  33. Muhlenbergia coerulea (Griseb.) Mez
  34. Muhlenbergia crispiseta Hitchc.
  35. Muhlenbergia cristaliae Vigosa
  36. Muhlenbergia cualensis Y.Herrera & P.M.Peterson
  37. Muhlenbergia curtifolia Scribn.
  38. Muhlenbergia curtisetosa (Scribn.) Bush
  39. Muhlenbergia curviaristata (Ohwi) Ohwi
  40. Muhlenbergia cuspidata (Torr. ex Hook.) Rydb.
  41. Muhlenbergia decumbens Swallen
  42. Muhlenbergia depauperata Scribn.
  43. Muhlenbergia diandra (R.W.Pohl) P.M.Peterson
  44. Muhlenbergia distichophylla (J.Presl) Kunth
  45. Muhlenbergia diversiglumis Trin.
  46. Muhlenbergia dubia E.Fourn.
  47. Muhlenbergia dumosa Scribn. ex Vasey
  48. Muhlenbergia durangensis Y.Herrera
  49. Muhlenbergia duthieana Hack.
  50. Muhlenbergia elongata Scribn. ex Beal
  51. Muhlenbergia eludens C.Reeder
  52. Muhlenbergia emersleyi Vasey
  53. Muhlenbergia eriophylla Swallen
  54. Muhlenbergia expansa (Poir.) Trin.
  55. Muhlenbergia fastigiata (J.Presl) Henrard
  56. Muhlenbergia filiculmis Vasey
  57. Muhlenbergia filiformis (Thurb.) Rydb.
  58. Muhlenbergia flabellata Mez
  59. Muhlenbergia flavida Vasey
  60. Muhlenbergia flaviseta Scribn.
  61. Muhlenbergia flexuosa Hitchc.
  62. Muhlenbergia fragilis Swallen
  63. Muhlenbergia frondosa (Poir.) Fernald
  64. Muhlenbergia glabrifloris Scribn.
  65. Muhlenbergia glauca (Nees) Mez
  66. Muhlenbergia glomerata (Willd.) Trin.
  67. Muhlenbergia grandis Vasey
  68. Muhlenbergia gypsophila C.Reeder & Reeder
  69. Muhlenbergia hakonensis (Hack.) Makino
  70. Muhlenbergia himalayensis Hack. ex Hook.f.
  71. Muhlenbergia hintonii Swallen
  72. Muhlenbergia huegelii Trin.
  73. Muhlenbergia implicata (Kunth) Trin.
  74. Muhlenbergia inaequalis Soderstr.
  75. Muhlenbergia involuta Swallen
  76. Muhlenbergia iridifolia Soderstr.
  77. Muhlenbergia jaime-hintonii P.M.Peterson & Valdés-Reyna
  78. Muhlenbergia jaliscana Swallen
  79. Muhlenbergia japonica Steud.
  80. Muhlenbergia jonesii (Vasey) Hitchc.
  81. Muhlenbergia laxa Hitchc.
  82. Muhlenbergia lehmanniana Henrard
  83. Muhlenbergia ligularis (Hack.) Hitchc.
  84. Muhlenbergia ligulata (E.Fourn.) Scribn. & Merr.
  85. Muhlenbergia lindheimeri Hitchc.
  86. Muhlenbergia longiglumis Vasey
  87. Muhlenbergia longiligula Hitchc.
  88. Muhlenbergia lucida Swallen
  89. Muhlenbergia macroura (Kunth) Hitchc.
  90. Muhlenbergia majalcensis P.M.Peterson
  91. Muhlenbergia maxima Laegaard & Sánchez Vega
  92. Muhlenbergia mexicana (L.) Trin.
  93. Muhlenbergia michisensis Y.Herrera & P.M.Peterson
  94. Muhlenbergia microsperma (DC.) Kunth
  95. Muhlenbergia minutissima (Steud.) Swallen
  96. Muhlenbergia monandra Alegría & Rúgolo
  97. Muhlenbergia montana (Nutt.) Hitchc.
  98. Muhlenbergia mucronata (Kunth) Trin.
  99. Muhlenbergia multiflora Columbus
  100. Muhlenbergia mutica (Rupr. ex Galeotti) Hitchc.
  101. Muhlenbergia myanmarensis Arum., G.V.S.Murthy & V.J.Nair
  102. Muhlenbergia nigra Hitchc.
  103. Muhlenbergia orophila Swallen
  104. Muhlenbergia palmeri Vasey
  105. Muhlenbergia palmirensis Grignon & Laegaard
  106. Muhlenbergia paniculata (Nutt.) P.M.Peterson
  107. Muhlenbergia pauciflora Buckley
  108. Muhlenbergia pectinata Goodd.
  109. Muhlenbergia pereilema P.M.Peterson
  110. Muhlenbergia peruviana (P.Beauv.) Steud.
  111. Muhlenbergia phalaroides (Kunth) P.M.Peterson
  112. Muhlenbergia phleoides (Kunth) P.M.Peterson
  113. Muhlenbergia pilosa P.M.Peterson, Wipff & S.D.Jones
  114. Muhlenbergia plumbea (Trin.) Hitchc.
  115. Muhlenbergia plumiseta Columbus
  116. Muhlenbergia polycaulis Scribn.
  117. Muhlenbergia porteri Scribn.
  118. Muhlenbergia pubescens (Kunth) Hitchc.
  119. Muhlenbergia pubigluma Swallen
  120. Muhlenbergia pungens Thurb.
  121. Muhlenbergia purpusii Mez
  122. Muhlenbergia quadridentata (Kunth) Trin.
  123. Muhlenbergia racemosa (Michx.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
  124. Muhlenbergia rakhchamensis Arum., G.V.S.Murthy & V.J.Nair
  125. Muhlenbergia ramosa (Hack.) Makino
  126. Muhlenbergia ramulosa (Kunth) Swallen
  127. Muhlenbergia reederorum Soderstr.
  128. Muhlenbergia repens (J.Presl) Hitchc.
  129. Muhlenbergia reverchonii Vasey & Scribn.
  130. Muhlenbergia richardsonis (Trin.) Rydb.
  131. Muhlenbergia rigens (Benth.) Hitchc.
  132. Muhlenbergia rigida (Kunth) Kunth
  133. Muhlenbergia robusta (E.Fourn.) Hitchc.
  134. Muhlenbergia romaschenkoi P.M.Peterson
  135. Muhlenbergia schmitzii Hack.
  136. Muhlenbergia schreberi J.F.Gmel.
  137. Muhlenbergia scoparia Vasey
  138. Muhlenbergia seatonii Scribn.
  139. Muhlenbergia sericea (Michx.) P.M.Peterson
  140. Muhlenbergia setarioides E.Fourn.
  141. Muhlenbergia setifolia Vasey
  142. Muhlenbergia shepherdii (Vasey) Swallen
  143. Muhlenbergia sinuosa Swallen
  144. Muhlenbergia sobolifera (Muhl. ex Willd.) Trin.
  145. Muhlenbergia solisii (G.A.Levin) P.M.Peterson
  146. Muhlenbergia spatha Columbus
  147. Muhlenbergia speciosa Vasey
  148. Muhlenbergia spiciformis Trin.
  149. Muhlenbergia straminea Hitchc.
  150. Muhlenbergia stricta (J.Presl) Kunth
  151. Muhlenbergia strictior Beal
  152. Muhlenbergia subaristata Swallen
  153. Muhlenbergia subbiflora Hitchc.
  154. Muhlenbergia sylvatica Torr.
  155. Muhlenbergia tarahumara P.M.Peterson & Columbus
  156. Muhlenbergia tenella (Kunth) Trin.
  157. Muhlenbergia tenuiflora (Willd.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
  158. Muhlenbergia tenuifolia (Kunth) Kunth
  159. Muhlenbergia tenuissima (J.Presl) Kunth
  160. Muhlenbergia texana Buckley
  161. Muhlenbergia thurberi (Scribn.) Rydb.
  162. Muhlenbergia torreyana (Schult.) Hitchc.
  163. Muhlenbergia torreyi (Kunth) Hitchc. ex Bush
  164. Muhlenbergia tricholepis (Torr.) P.M.Peterson
  165. Muhlenbergia uniflora (Muhl.) Fernald
  166. Muhlenbergia uniseta (Lag.) Columbus
  167. Muhlenbergia utilis (Torr.) Hitchc.
  168. Muhlenbergia vaginata Swallen
  169. Muhlenbergia venezuelae Luces
  170. Muhlenbergia versicolor Swallen
  171. Muhlenbergia villiflora Hitchc.
  172. Muhlenbergia virescens (Kunth) Kunth
  173. Muhlenbergia virletii (E.Fourn.) Soderstr.
  174. Muhlenbergia watsoniana Hitchc.
  175. Muhlenbergia wrightii Vasey ex J.M.Coult.
  176. Muhlenbergia xanthodas Soderstr.

Why I Advocate for Muhly Grasses

My admiration for muhly grasses extends beyond their aesthetic appeal. These plants are incredibly valuable in ecological restoration and sustainable landscaping. They’re drought-tolerant, requiring minimal water once established, and they provide crucial habitat and food sources for wildlife.

Muhly grasses also play a vital role in soil conservation. Their extensive root systems help prevent erosion, and their dense growth habit can suppress weeds. In a world facing increasing environmental challenges, these grasses offer sustainable solutions for landscaping and land management.

Muhly Grasses in the Garden

Incorporating muhly grasses into your garden is a rewarding endeavor. They provide multi-season interest, with their foliage offering texture and movement throughout the growing season and their inflorescences stealing the show in the fall.

Whether you’re looking to create a meadow-like planting, add a touch of whimsy to a border, or provide erosion control on a slope, there’s a muhly grass that’s perfect for the job.

Here are a few tips for growing muhly grasses:

  • Choose the right species: Consider your climate, soil conditions, and the desired size and appearance of the plant.
  • Plant in full sun: Muhly grasses thrive in sunny locations.
  • Provide well-drained soil: While adaptable, muhlys don’t tolerate soggy conditions.
  • Cut back in late winter or early spring: This encourages fresh growth and prevents the plants from becoming too woody.

With minimal care, muhly grasses will reward you with years of beauty and ecological benefits.

A Continuing Fascination

My journey with Muhlenbergia is an ongoing one. I’m constantly learning more about these fascinating plants, discovering new species, and exploring their potential in different landscape settings.

I encourage you to join me in appreciating the understated beauty and ecological value of muhly grasses. They’re a gift to the gardener and the environment, offering a unique blend of resilience, adaptability, and captivating charm.

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