Ring mulily, also called ring grass, and ticklegrass, get it com- 

 mon names from its unusual and characteristic growth habit. As 

 each tuft enlarges, the center dies, leaving a border of tufted grass 

 2 to 4 inches wide which forms a ring 6 to 18 inches (sometimes a 

 few feet) in diameter. The species occurs from Colorado and Kan- 

 sas to Texas and Arizona, being most abundant in New Mexico, 

 Arizona, and southwestern Colorado. It grows mainly on plains 

 and mesas in the woodland and ponderosa pine zones at elevations of 

 4,000 to 8,500 feet, but may ascend to 10,000 feet. This grass ap- 

 parently prefers sandy or clay loams, although it occurs on coarse 

 gravelly or rocky sites and will even grow on soils somewhat impreg- 

 nated with gypsum. Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis}, three-awns 

 (Aristida spp.), snakeweeds (Gutierrezia, spp.), and miscellaneous 

 weeds are common associates of ring muhly. 



The abundance of ring muhly on some ranges of Colorado, New 

 Mexico, and Arizona, coupled with the fair palatability of the plant 

 while young and succulent make it of considerable importance. It 

 sometimes comes in abundantly on overgrazed range as the more 

 palatable plants are killed out and also in dogtown areas. Under 

 such conditions, it is regarded as an indicator of range deteriora- 

 tion or soil disturbance an indicator easily identified because of its 

 ring formation. In. the absence of a satisfactory stand of the better 

 grasses ring muhly may partially substitute as a protective soil cover 

 until the more desirable species are reestablished. Range manage- 

 ment on ring muhly areas should favor the rehabilitation of the 

 better species since ring muhly produces only a small volume of 

 rather wiry foliage per plant and its season of usefulness as forage 

 is short, the leaves becoming somewhat tough and unpalatable at 

 maturity. After midsummer the plant is rated as poor forage. The 

 seed, which usually matures by August, is produced in abundance 

 and, as the fruiting heads are unpalatable, is ordinarily left to 

 mature and to extend the stand. 



Ring muhly leaves are 1 to 4 inches long and form dense, some- 

 what curly tufts. The stems are slender, erect, usually dark, and 

 about 4 to 20 inches high. The panicle is 2 to 9 inches long, open 

 and spreading, and brownish purple, with numerous "seeds" on very 

 fine, wavy branches. The "seeds" are purplish, one-sixteenth to one- 

 eighth of an inch long, and tipped with a very fine awn as long or 

 even twice as long as the "seeds." 



