Nimblewill

Nimblewill, Muhlenbergia schreberi

Family: Poaceae; Grass Family

Vegetative Characteristics: 

Seedling: Glabrous, linear blade; short, erose, membranous ligule

Stems: ~60 cm tall, geniculate, branching and rooting at nodes, glabrous

Leaves: 3.5-6.0 cm long, 1.0-3.0 mm wide, blades pubescent at mouth only; sheaths shorter than internode, glabrous; ligule minute, erose or lacerate, ciliolate, 0.5 mm long

Reproductive Characteristics: 

Inflorescences: terminal and axillary contracted panicles, 5.0-15.0 cm long; spikelets with 1 fertile flower, 2.0 mm long, excluding awns, pediceled; first glume minute or absent, second glume 0.1-0.3 mm long; lemma 2.0 mm long, with 2.0-5.0 mm awn from tip; palea as lemma

Fruits: caryopsis, lemma and palea attached

Special Identifying Features: 

⇒ minute glumes, no rhyzomes, narrow panicles, leaf blades resembling bermudagrass