Key to Wisconsin Muhlenbergia

Authors: Robert W. Freckmann, John G. Zaborsky, Emmet J. Judziewicz

• 1a.Lemmas smooth at the base, awnless; plants tufted to weakly rhizomatous 2

• 1b.Lemmas long-hairy at the base, awned or awnless; plants strongly rhizomatous (lacking rhizomes in M. schreberi) 5

• 2a.Panicle open; spikelets 1–2 mm long 3

• 2b.Panicle contracted; spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm long 4

• 3a.Panicles 10–20 cm wide M. asperifolia

• 3b.Panicles 1–5 cm wide M. uniflora

• 4a.Ligules less than 0.5 mm long, or absent M. cuspidata

• 4b.Ligules 1–2.5 mm long M. richardsonis

• 5a.Glumes less than 0.5 mm long; plants somewhat running (stoloniferous) but lacking rhizomes M. schreberi

• 5b.Glumes 1.5–8.5 mm long; plants rhizomatous 6

• 6a. Glumes (including awns) 3.5–8 mm long, evidently longer than the lemma body; lemmas awnless or short-awned 7

• 6b.Glumes 1.3–3.5 mm long, equal to or shorter than the lemma body; lemmas awnless to long-awned 8

• 7a.Culm internodes roughened or minutely hairy; ligules ca. 0.5 mm long M. glomerata

• 7b.Culm internodes glabrous; ligules 0.5–1 mm long M. racemosa

• 8a. Glumes narrowly ovate, 0.5–1 mm wide 9

• 8b. Glumes narrowly lanceolate, ca. 0.5 mm wide 11

• 9a.Lemmas awnless or with an awn up to 1 mm long M. sobolifera

• 9b.Lemmas with awn 4–18 mm long 10

• 10a.Culm internodes and leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades 4–6 mm wide; ligules 1.5–2 mm long M. sylvatica

• 10b.Culm internodes and leaf sheaths minutely hairy; leaf blades 6–15 mm wide; ligules 0.5–1 mm long M. tenuiflora

• 11a.Culm internodes and leaf sheaths glabrous; panicles with bases usually included in the upper leaf sheath M. frondosa

• 11b.Culm internodes and leaf sheaths minutely hairy; panicles all exserted from the leaf sheaths 12

• 12a.Ligules 0.5–1 (–1.3) mm long; some spikelets nearly sessile M. mexicana

• 12b.CLigules 1.5–2 mm long; all spikelets pedicellate M. sylvatica