Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Muhlenbergia capillaris
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Muhlenbergia from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
If one considers behavior in the field, ecology, and geography in conjunction with morphologic characters, there is little doubt that M. capillaris, M. expansa, and M. sericea are biological species. Distribution and typical habitat are different for the three species, but M. capillaris can be found growing with or in proximity to each of the other two. In such situations, the two taxa present are readily distinguishable at a glance, and there is no evidence of intermediates or hybrids, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Muhlenbergia capillaris
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Muhlenbergia capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Muhlenbergia capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-45-002:
Muhlenbergia capillaris FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
COMMON NAME:
Pink Muhlygrass, Upland Muhly, Hair-awn Muhly, Hairgrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_muca2_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_muca2_002_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm0310c_20
October Greenville County SC
SC Native Plant Society Plant Sale
)
JK Marlow jkm0310c_22
October Greenville County SC
SC Native Plant Society Plant Sale
Panicle purple, oblong, diffuse, 1/3-1/2 the height of the culm, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
Keith Bradley kab_m_capillaris_71545
October Miami-Dade County FL
)
JK Marlow jkm061112_072
November Union County SC
A field of pink mist for about 10 days every autumn, per Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm101120_279
November Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm101120_282
November Greenville County SC
Spikelets one-flowered, awns 3-12mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm111113_401
November Union County SC
Sumter National Forest: Tyger Ranger District
Leaves 16" long, narrow, rolled lengthwise into an upright wiry leaf, per Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Muhlenbergia capillaris
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Muhlenbergia capillaris
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Muhlenbergia capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Muhlenbergia capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-45-002:
Muhlenbergia capillaris
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Muhlenbergia capillaris var. capillaris
951
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: In the Piedmont and Interior Low Plateau primarily in clayey or thin rocky soils (especially in areas which formerly burned and were prairie-like) and in open woodlands; in the Coastal Plain in pine savannas, sandhills, dry woodlands, and coastal grasslands (where sometimes in close proximity with M. sericea); in the Mountains around calcareous rock outcrops; sandy prairies westwards, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain, uncommon in Piedmont, rare in Mountains
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Mostly basal
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Spikelets usually purplish
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Grain purplish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Wasowski & Wasowski, 1994, 2020) p177
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p491
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p405
- Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants p204
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p146
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p413
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p096
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".