Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands
Muhly, ring
Bé’ézhóó’łichií’í
Ring muhly is a low-growing, fine-leaved, fine-stemmed sodgrass. It tends to grow in rings, which are caused by the center dying out as the plant enlarges. The rings may range in size from several inches to a few feet across.
It appears green to bluish-green, reddish, or purplish. It flowers from July to September on dry ridges, sandy plateaus, and rocky slopes between 4,000 and 7,000 feet. Even when ring muhly is young and growing rapidly, its palatability is low. As the plants mature, palatability drops almost to zero.
Ranges with ring muhly should be managed with other grasses as key species. Continued attempts to obtain even a moderate amount of grazing from the grass will in time drive out all of the desirable forage species and result in consistent weight losses in the animals being grazed. Ranges with an abundance of this grass should be rested during the summer rainy season.
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