Muhlenbergia microsperma

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Muhlenbergia microsperma
Muhlenbergia microsperma 001.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus: Muhlenbergia
Species:
M. microsperma
Binomial name
Muhlenbergia microsperma
Synonyms [2]

Basionym:

  • Trichochloa microspermaDC. 1813
Heterotypic synonyms
    • Agrostis debilis(Kunth) Spreng.
    • Agrostis microcarpa Steud.
    • Agrostis microsperma Lag.
    • Agrostis setosa(Kunth) Spreng.
    • Muhlenbergia debilis(Kunth) Kunth
    • Muhlenbergia fasciculata Trin.
    • Muhlenbergia purpureaNutt.
    • Muhlenbergia ramosissima Vasey
    • Muhlenbergia setosa(Kunth) Kunth
    • Podosemum debileKunth
    • Podosemum setosumKunth
    • Trichochloa debilis(Kunth) Roem. & Schult.
    • Trichochloa setosa(Kunth) Roem. & Schult.

Muhlenbergia microsperma is a species of grass known by the common name littleseed muhly. An annual or short-lived perennial tufted grass with a purplish inflorescence, it is native to the Americas from the Southwestern United States through Central America to northern South America. [3] It is usually found in many habitats, particularly open areas, cliffs and slopes, and disturbed sites. It is characterized by the presence of closed, self-pollinating flowers on its lower stems and small spikelets.

Contents

Description

Muhlenbergia microsperma is an annual or perennial tufted grass with culms growing up to 10–80 cm (3.9–31.5 in) tall. The leaf blades are 2–6 cm (0.79–2.36 in) long by 1–2.5 mm (0.039–0.098 in) wide. The leaf sheathes are often shorter than the internodes and are glabrous, with a smooth or minutely scabrous texture. The ligules are 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long, decurrent to the sheath, with a truncate to obtuse toothed tip. The inflorescence is a purplish panicle 6.5–13.5 mm (0.26–0.53 in) long by 1–6.5 mm (0.039–0.256 in) wide, with spreading or ascending branches. Characteristic of this species are panicles of 1 to 3 cleistogamous florets present in the axils of the lower leaves on the stems. The spikelet consists of lemmas usually 2.5–3.8 mm (0.098–0.150 in) long, and glumes 0.4–1.3 mm (0.016–0.051 in) long. [3] [4]

This species has a marked morphological diversity among and within its populations. It has a varying chromosome count of 2n= 20, 40, 60. [3] [4]

Detail of the inflorescence Muhlenbergia microsperma 579834943.jpg
Detail of the inflorescence

Distribution and habitat

Muhlenbergia microsperma is native to the Americas. It is found in the United States in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. [1] [3] The species is widespread in Mexico, native to the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Coahuila, Mexico City, Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, and Zacatecas. [5] It is also native to Guatemala. In South America, this species can be found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. [2]

This species occupies a wide variety of habitats. It generally prefers open areas and more or less disturbed sites like roadsides, but can also be found in drainages, sandy slopes, cliffs, and rock outcrops. In North America, it usually grows in creosote scrub, thorn-scrub forest, sarcocaulescent desert, and oak-pinyon woodland associations, at elevations of 0–2,400 m (0–7,874 ft). [3] It is also found in chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Muhlenbergia microsperma". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Muhlenbergia microsperma (DC.) Kunth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Peterson, Paul M. (2003). "Muhlenbergia microsperma". Flora of North America. 25: 162. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 Peterson, Paul M.; Morse, Keir (2023). "Muhlenbergia microsperma". Jepson eFlora. Regents of the University of California. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Villaseñor, José Luis (2016-08-05). "Checklist of the native vascular plants of México". Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad. 87 (3): 695. doi: 10.1016/j.rmb.2016.06.017 . ISSN   2007-8706.
  6. ↑ Rebman, Jon P.; Gibson, Judy; Rich, Karen (15 November 2016). "Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Baja California, Mexico" (PDF). Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 45. San Diego Natural History Museum: 305 – via San Diego Plant Atlas.
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