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Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Description Growth habit: A dense-growing, moderately large
bunchgrass that flowers after the soil has been moistened by summer
rains. The plants are usually about 1 to 2 feet tall. Occurrence The commonest grass in the state at high altitudes in stands of pine and Douglas fir. An abundant species from 5,000 to 6,500 feet and one of the dominant grasses in the open grasslands between McNary and Springerville. It grows in moderately dense shade but produces most abundantly in the open.
Forage Value Mountain muhly is a valuable forage plant because of its
abundance rather than because of high palatability. Although it produces
large amounts of herbage it is one of the least palatable of the high-altitude
grasses in the state. It is grazed most readily during the early summer
when the plants are actively growing. Grazing Management Mountain muhly is usually the principal grass in the dry forested range between the meadows, and is less palatable than the meadow plants. This, and the natural concentration of grazing animals around water, almost always results in overuse of the meadows and much lighter use of the upland areas. Most efficient use of many of our high mountain ranges could be obtained by fencing off the meadows. In this way animals would be forced to make fuller use of the dry upland areas and the meadows would have a chance to recover from their typically depleted condition.
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Cooperative
Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona