Muhlenbergia porteri


Muhlenbergia porteri is a species of grass known by the common names bush muhly and Porter's muhly.

Distribution

The bunchgrass is native to southwestern North America, where it can be found throughout the Southwestern United States, Great Basin, California deserts, and northern Mexico, including on the Baja California Peninsula, northern Mexican Plateau, and Chihuahuan Desert.
It grows at elevations of, in rocky and shrubby habitats including shadscale scrub and Joshua Tree woodlands.

Description

Muhlenbergia porteri is a perennial bunchgrass producing wiry, knotted stems up to about 80 centimeters tall. The inflorescence is an open array of spreading, thread-thin branches bearing small, awned spikelets. The bloom period is May and June.
The species was named for Thomas Conrad Porter.