and certain needlegrasses (Stipa). They may be distinguished from 

 dropseeds by their "seeds", which are closely enfolded by the firm 

 outer flower scales (lemma and palea). The "seeds" of dropseeds, on 

 the other hand, are free from the lemmas and paleas and loose within 

 the outer "seed" coats (pericarps). Also the lemmas of the muhly 

 grasses have short bristles (awns) or are sharp-pointed while the 

 lemmas of dropseeds are awnless and blunt. Ricegrasses have a 

 rather large, firm, hardened "seed" with an awn which readily falls 

 from the "seed" when nature, separating at a joint at the apex of the 

 lemma. Needlegrasses may be readily distinguished from the muhly 

 grasses by their twisted and usually bent awns and by the pointed 

 bearded base (callus) of the "seed." 



The genus commemorates Rev. Dr. Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst 

 Muhlenberg (1753-1815), an American clergyman and botanist, who 

 wrote the first treatise on American grasses. Dr. Muhlenberg was 

 a member of an unusually distinguished Pennsylvania family. His 

 father, H. M. Miihlenberg, was the founder of the Lutheran Church 

 in this country. His brother, Gen. J. P. G. Muhlenberg was second 

 in command to Lafayette at the siege of Yorktown and is celebrated 

 in American history for doffing his ecclesiastical garb in the pulpit, 

 at the outset of the Revolution, revealing his colonel's uniform 

 underneath and marching off to battle with nearly 300 members of 

 his congregation. Another brother, F. A. C. Muhlenberg, was the 

 first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. 



