Muhlenbergia torreyi (Kunth),
Ring Muhly

Habit: 		Perennial in loose tufts, the base decumbent or forming short rhizomes,
	usually in large patches or fairy rings.
Culms: 		Slender, rigid, 10-30 cm. tall, erect or decumbent at the base, tufted.
Blades: 	Crowded at the base, recurved or flexuous, mostly 2-3 cm. long,
	involute-setaceous, somewhat scabrous, forming a crisp curly cushion.
Sheaths: 	Longer than the internodes.
Ligule: 	Membranous, 4-6 mm. long.
Inflorescence: 	5-20 cm. long, usually half the entire length of the plant,
	exserted, finally open, purplish, the capillary branches finally spreading,
	pedicels as long or longer than the spikelets.
Spikelets: 	Exclusive of the awn 2-3.5 mm. long, 1-flowered, flower perfect,
	rachilla disarticulating above the glumes.
Glumes: 	Unequal, keeled, the first about 1.5 mm. long, the second 2 mm. long, awn-pointed.
Lemmas: 	2.5-3 mm. long, 3-nerved, nearly glabrous, tapering into delicate awn about 3 mm. long.
Palea: 		Thin, about as long as the lemma, usually minutely 2-toothed.
Habitat: 	Plains, mesas and foothills.  July-October.
Kansas Range:	High plains, southwest fourth to Russell county.
Synonyms: 	Muhlenbergia gracillima Torr.