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Muhlenbergia mexicana

(L.) Trin.

Mexican Muhly

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148555
Element CodePMPOA48110
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusMuhlenbergia
Other Common Names
Mexican muhly (EN) Muhlenbergie du Mexique (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (vol. 24, 2007) recognizes two distinct varieties under Muhlenbergia mexicana (var. mexicana and filiformis).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-14
Change Date1984-06-08
Edition Date2024-08-14
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Muhlenbergia mexicana is a wide-ranging perennial graminoid in a variety of open habitats occurring in North America north of Mexico, including Yukon, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia, Canada and the United States except the southeast. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Muhlenbergia mexicana occurs in North America north of Mexico, including Yukon, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia, Canada and the United States except the southeast (FNA 2007, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 9.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Muhlenbergia mexicana grows in dry, mesic to wet areas such as moist prairies and woodlands, mafic and calcareous fens, bogs, seeps, stream banks, roadsides, ditch banks, lake margins, swamps, barrens, outcrops, and hot springs (FNA 2007, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldBarrensBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
Bog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
QuebecSNRYes
ManitobaS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
SaskatchewanSHYes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
Yukon TerritorySHYes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
Rhode IslandSNRYes
ColoradoSHYes
NebraskaSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
IllinoisS3Yes
KansasSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
New JerseyS4Yes
WyomingS1Yes
DelawareSHYes
OhioSNRYes
UtahS1Yes
OregonSNRYes
NevadaS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
North CarolinaS1Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
TexasS1Yes
IndianaS5Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MissouriSNRYes
VirginiaS3Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
IdahoSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
Norwich Plains Revised Roadless AreaOttawa National Forest4,360
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxviii + 911 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.