Muhlenbergia pauciflora

Few-flowered muhly

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Few-flowered muhly is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in eastern Mojave Desert Mountains, specifically the New York Mountains, on rocky slopes and ledges at an elevation of 1,755 meters. Flowering from September to October, this plant produces small, delicate purple-tinted flower clusters in narrow, loose inflorescences up to 12 centimeters long. Growing with wiry, erect stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall that can root at lower nodes, it forms compact clumps with distinctive knot-like lower nodes. Its leaves are narrow and fine, measuring 5 to 8 centimeters long and only 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters wide, typically flat or slightly folded with a small tooth-like ligule. The plant's distinctive awns on its lemmas can extend 5 to 20 millimeters, adding an elegant, wispy texture to its overall appearance.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, ledges, canyons

Bloom period: Sep-Oct

Elevation: 1755 m

Bioregions: e DMtns (New York Mtns)

California counties: San Bernardino

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