Muhlenbergia richardsonis
Mat muhly
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Muhlenbergia richardsonis (Mat muhly) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by matted habit with very narrow inflorescence and short awns.
Mat muhly is a California native perennial grass found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, Great Basin, and desert mountains in open sites, moist meadows, and along stream edges at elevations of 1,220 to 3,670 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces yellow to purple anthers with small, narrow cylindrical flower clusters. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive matted growth with often swollen lower nodes. Its leaves are narrow, 1 to 5 centimeters long and 1 to 2 millimeters wide, with short ligules that are acute to truncate. The plant develops through scaly rhizomes, creating dense, low-growing mats in alpine and montane environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; matted habit with very narrow inflorescence and short awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open sites, +- moist meadows, talus slopes, along streams
Elevation: 1220-3670 m
California counties: Modoc, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Alpine, Fresno, Tuolumne, Mono, Lassen, Tulare, El Dorado, Inyo, Mariposa, Nevada, Siskiyou, Riverside, Plumas, San Diego, Placer, Sierra, Ventura, Shasta, San Joaquin, Butte, Stanislaus, Kern, Madera, Amador, Trinity, Santa Barbara, Calaveras
Outside California: to Canada, northeastern United States, Mexico
Bloom period
Muhlenbergia richardsonis blooms Jun-Aug.
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 richardsonis native to California?
Yes. Muhlenbergia richardsonis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Muhlenbergia richardsonis bloom?
Muhlenbergia richardsonis blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Muhlenbergia richardsonis grow?
Muhlenbergia richardsonis occurs in Modoc, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Alpine, Fresno, Tuolumne, Mono, Lassen and other counties, at elevations of 1220-3670 m.
What plant family does Muhlenbergia richardsonis belong to?
Muhlenbergia richardsonis is in the Poaceae family, genus Muhlenbergia.
What habitat does Muhlenbergia richardsonis grow in?
Muhlenbergia richardsonis grows in Open sites, +- moist meadows, talus slopes, along streams.
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.