Muhlenbergia sylvatica Torr. Forest Muhly Habit: Perennial with scaly creeping rhizomes, resembling M. mexicana in habit. Culms: 30-90 cm. tall, erect or ascending, freely branched, leafy, the branches more slender and lax than in M. mexicana, retrorsely strigose below the nodes. Blades: Flat, rough, 5-18 cm. long, 2-6 mm. wide. Sheaths: Mostly shorter than the internodes, or those of the branches overlapping, smooth or slightly roughened. Ligule: Erose-truncate, about 1 mm. long. Inflorescence: A green, slender, nodding, exserted or commonly included panicle, 6-18 cm. long, the branches distinct, appressed, overlapping except perhaps the lower. Spikelets: On long erect branches, green or straw-colored, 2.5-3 mm. long, 1-flowered, flower perfect, rachilla disarticulating above the glumes. Glumes: Lanceolate, equal or the first shorter, rather abruptly acuminate or awn pointed, about 2 mm. long, scabrous. Lemmas: Scabrous, tapering into a slender awn, 5-12 mm. long, 3-nerved, the hairs at the base about 1 mm. long. Palea: Thin, about as long as the lemma, acuminate, scabrous on the nerves. Habitat: Moist woods and thickets. August-October. Kansas Range: Scattered in east two thirds. Synonyms: Muhlenbergia sylvatica Torr. ex Gray var. robusta Fern. Muhlenbergia umbrosa Scribn.