Muhlenbergia torreyana (J.A. Schultes) A.S. Hitchcock. Pinebarren Smokegrass. Phen: Aug-Nov. Hab: In the Coastal Plain in moist soils of depression meadows and clay-based Carolina bays, often under or near Taxodium ascendens, in the Interior Low Plateau and Cumberland Plateau in moist grassy oak savannas. Dist: NJ to GA in the Coastal Plain, and disjunct in KY (?)and TN; currently known to be extant only in NJ, NC, and TN. It was first discovered in NC in 1987.

ID notes:Although it rarely flowers except following fire, it can be recognized in sterile condition by its forming clonal patches with evenly spaced, upright, blue-green tufts, each tuft a flattened stem with 5-10 ascending-erect, rather stiff, usually conduplicate leaves, the summit of each sheath with a pronounced cartilaginous thickening, easily felt by running the flattened stem from base to apex between thumb and forefinger.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Synonymy: = C, F, FNA25, G, HC, K1, K3, K4, Tat, Tn; = n/a – RAB; = Sporobolus compressus (Torr.) Kunth; = Sporobolus torreyanus (Schult.) Nash – S

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW

Heliophily: 9