Muhlenbergia minutissima
Annual muhly
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Muhlenbergia minutissima (Annual muhly) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by annual habit with small ovoid inflorescence.
Annual muhly is a California native annual grass found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada on open, somewhat disturbed sandy slopes and seeps at elevations of 400 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from July to October, this delicate grass produces small spikelets with distinctive purple anthers. Growing with ascending to erect stems 2 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms slender, open grass clusters. Its narrow leaves are flat, 0.5 to 4 centimeters long and 1 to 2 millimeters wide, with truncate ligules. The plant features compact, narrowly ovoid inflorescences with ascending branches that spread less than 80 degrees from the central axis.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; annual habit with small ovoid inflorescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, +- disturbed, sandy slopes, seeps
Elevation: 400-2300 m
California counties: Plumas, Butte, Trinity, Riverside, San Bernardino, Mono, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Nevada, San Diego
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, western Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Muhlenbergia minutissima blooms Jul-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Cenchrus: Cenchrus has spiny burs enclosing seed clusters; Muhlenbergia has open panicles without spines.; vs Nassella: Nassella has prominent bent awns; Muhlenbergia awns are straight or absent.; vs Festuca: Festuca has multiple-flowered spikelets; Muhlenbergia typically has single-flowered spikelets in open panicles.; vs Carex: Carex (sedges) has triangular stems and separate male/female flowers; Muhlenbergia has round stems.; vs Juncus: Juncus (rushes) has tiny brown chaffy flowers in clusters; Muhlenbergia has typical grass spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Muhlenbergia minutissima native to California?
Yes. Muhlenbergia minutissima is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Muhlenbergia minutissima bloom?
Muhlenbergia minutissima blooms Jul-Oct.
Where in California does Muhlenbergia minutissima grow?
Muhlenbergia minutissima occurs in Plumas, Butte, Trinity, Riverside, San Bernardino, Mono, Mariposa, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 400-2300 m.
What plant family does Muhlenbergia minutissima belong to?
Muhlenbergia minutissima is in the Poaceae family, genus Muhlenbergia.
What habitat does Muhlenbergia minutissima grow in?
Muhlenbergia minutissima grows in Open, +- disturbed, sandy slopes, seeps.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.