Mexican Muhly

Muhlenbergia mexicana

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Anicla infecta, Resapamea stipata, Trichordestra legitima
S13+S15 3 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) consumes Muhlenbergia seeds, which appeared in 44% of occurrence-based diet studies. Seeds mature in late summer through fall but persistence is low, limiting winter availability to early season.
S57 Wild Turkey 44% occurrence, 5.5% by weight; S11 Fruit/Seed Persistence=No

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the United States (N5). S5 in Ontario; not yet ranked in Quebec but widely documented with 19 herbarium specimens and 48 GBIF preserved specimens in ecoregion 5.2.3. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
S22 G5, N5; S54 19 QC specimens; S48 48 specimens in 5.2.3; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Inhabits marshy, swampy, and boggy habitats, stream border thickets, edges of moist hardwoods, and disturbed ground along roads and trails. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region, specimens are documented from moist floodplain woods along Leamy Creek, rocky hillsides in Hull, and canal embankments under ash and elm canopy. Tolerant of disturbance and often colonizes wet meadows, roadside ditches, and forest edges.
S7 habitat descriptions; S48 Gatineau specimen localities; S61 forests, swamps, wetland margins; S62 Common in Ottawa

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only)]
Notes: OWSL recommends pairing with shade-tolerant woodland species including White Wood Aster, Zigzag Goldenrod, Eastern Figwort, and Inflated Tobacco. These companions share tolerance for moist, partly shaded forest-edge conditions and provide complementary bloom periods from mid-summer through fall.
S3 complementary plants; S46 moist soil, light sun

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: The Ramah Navajo used the plant as fodder for sheep and horses, not as direct human food. USDA rates it as not palatable to humans. The single Moerman food record refers to animal feed rather than human consumption.
S28 Navajo Ramah fodder use; S11 Palatable Human=No