Muhlenbergia uniseta

Gould 1980, FNA 2007

Common Name: fragilegrass Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Graminoid General: Delicate, tufted annual with weak stems 2-30 cm, bases often prostrate or decumbent, strongly branching. Vegetative: Sheaths glabrous or sparsely hirsute; blades 1-7 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, thin, flat; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm, lacerate. Inflorescence: Raceme 2-6 cm on filiform, slightly zig-zag axis, bearing minute basal stumps of peduncles after spikelets fall; spikelets 1.5-2.3 mm, on 1-1.5 mm pedicels; kinked peduncle is slender and fragile, bearing three spikelets on large flattened pedicels; glumes 1-2 mm, fan-shaped, lobes rounded, awns about 0.5 mm; lemmas 2.5-3 mm, central awns 3-8 mm, lateral awns to 1 mm. Ecology: Found in partial shade, often of trees or boulders, in shady moist canyons and rarely along roads from 5,000-7,000 ft (1524-2134 m); flowers August-October. Notes: The minute size along with the fan shaped glumes and the slight reddish tinge help to identify this species. This taxa is undergoing revision. Peterson in 2009 put this species in Muhlenbergia cenchroides, but it alternately has also been noted as Muhlenbergia geminiflora by Peterson and as M. uniseta by Columbus. Tropicos suggests this species is M. cenchroides. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Aegopogon is from Greek aix, or aigos, for a goat and pogon, a beard, while tenellus is from Latin for delicate or dainty. Synonyms: Aegopogon tenellus, Aegopogon tenellus var. abortivus, Lamarckia tenella Editor: SBuckley, 2010