Muhlenbergia alopecuroides

Wolftail

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Wolftail is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial grass found in the eastern Desert Mountains, specifically the New York Mountains, on rocky slopes and mesas at approximately 500 meters elevation. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces yellow-anthered spikelets in dense, spike-like inflorescences 4 to 10 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it has distinctive flat leaf blades 4 to 12 centimeters long, with white midribs and margins. Its leaves feature an unusual awn-like extension at the tip, 3 to 10 millimeters long, and have a ligule 2 to 12 millimeters long. The plant produces intricate paired spikelets with unequal glumes, each with delicate awns 1 to 5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Rocky slopes and mesas

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: +- 500 m.

Bioregions: e DMtns (New York Mtns)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.