Muhlenbergia pungens Thurb.

Muhlenbergia pungens Thurb. Proc. Acad. Phila. 1863: 78
1863.
Podosafmum pungens Bush, Am. Midi. Nat. 7: 32. 1921, (Based on Muhlenhergia pungens Thurb.) Not Podosaemum pungens Link, 1827.
Perennial, with strong creeping rhizomes; culms erect from a decumbent leafy base, 20-40 cm. tall, sometimes taller, glabrous except the lower internodes, thin, the prophylla and the covered parts of the sheaths softly and densely lanate-pubescent; sheaths glabrous, except as noted above, crowded toward the base, much overlapping; ligule a ciliate membrane 1 mm. long; blades short, flat at base but closely involute above, firm, sharp-pointed, spreading, often curved, minutely pubescent on both surfaces, mostly 3-5 cm. long, sometimes as much as 10 cm., rarely longer; panicles long-exserted, open, oblong, 5-15 cm. long, the main branches 3-5, these divided into fascicles of capillary, finally spreading or divaricate, very scabrous branchlets, the whole cluster ascending, 5-6 cm. long, the capillary pedicels 2-3 cm. long; spikelets purple to brownish, 4—5 mm. long; glumes about one third as long as the spikelet, scabrous, often erose or toothed, the midnerve extending into a short awn; lemma terete, tapering into an awn about 1 mm. long; palea about as long as the lemma, the keels awn-tipped.
Typb locality: Rocky Mountains. Colorado (Hall & Harbour 632).
Distribution: Dry hills and sandy plains, South Dakota, Colorado, and t'tah to New Mexico and Arizona.