I don’t know how many times I walked to the light rail station but I never noticed this kind of grass by the roadside until a few days ago. Maybe it was a warm but not a scorching sun or maybe I was intentionally seeking peace in nature; I noticed this romantic pinkish, purplish, cloudish grass. Although it was only a few small bushes of grass, they brought me joy unexpectedly. I even walk back a couple of times to where they are several days later to enjoy them. I google it. I was surprised to learn that muhly grass was named 2012 plant of the year. In China and South Korea you can also find large muhly grass fields. They are very beautiful and give you a romantic feeling.
往輕軌車站的路，不知道走過幾回了，卻從沒注意到這不起眼的路邊草，直到前些天，或許是溫暖卻不炙熱的陽光，也或許是刻意想在自然中尋求心靈的安寧，我注意到這浪漫粉紅、紫紅如雲霧狀的草。雖然只是幾小叢草，卻帶給我意外的驚喜，之後數天又特意散步至此。查了網路資訊，沒想到這粉黛亂子草居然在 2012 年被評為當年的最佳植物。在中國、南韓可以看到一大片粉黛亂子草原，非常浪漫美麗。
Notes 筆記
- Muhlenbergia capillaris is a clump-forming, warm season, perennial grass. Muhlenbergia capillaris common names include pink muhlygrass, pink hair grass, hairawn muhly, gulf muhly, and Hair Grass.
- It is native to prairies, pine barrens, and open woodlands from Massachusetts to Kansas south to Florida and Texas.
- The plant is a warm-season grass. During the summer, the leaves stay green, but they morph during the fall to produce a more colored pink purplish-red., or copper color.
- Genus name honors Gotthilf Henry Ernest Muhlenberg (1753-1815), American Lutheran pastor and amateur botanist. Specific epithet means fine or hair-like.
- The muhly grass is a cespitose perennial that grows to be 30–90 cm (0.98–2.95 ft) tall and 60–90 cm (2.0–3.0 ft) wide.
- It is a known attractant for beneficial insects such as ladybug beetles, and is an excellent garden plant because of its low maintenance and general beauty. The clumping habit makes it excellent for use as wildlife cover, such as nests and shelter for native birds.
- It is listed as endangered in Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, and New Jersey, as presumed extirpated in Ohio, and as extirpated in Pennsylvania.
- It was voted 2012 plant of the year by the Garden Club of America.
- 粉黛亂子草是一種叢生的、溫暖季節的多年生草本植物。 粉黛亂子草又稱毛芒亂子草，它的俗名包括粉紅穆利草、粉紅髮草、毛芒穆利草、海灣穆利草和髮草。
- 它原產於從馬薩諸塞州到堪薩斯州南部到佛羅裡達州和德克薩斯州的草原、松林和開闊林地。
- 它是一個暖季草。 在夏季，葉子保持綠色，但在秋天時會變色，以產生更彩色的粉紅色、紫紅色或銅色。
- 屬名是為了紀念美國路德教牧師和業餘植物學家 Gotthilf Henry Ernest Muhlenberg (1753-1815)。種小名意為細的或像毛髮一樣的。
- 粉黛亂子草是多年生的、叢生的草，高30-90公分（0.98-2.95英呎），寬60-90公分（2.0-3.0英呎）。
- 它可吸引瓢蟲，甲蟲等有益昆蟲，並且由於維護成本低且美觀大方，是一種極好的園林植物。 叢生的性質使其非常適合用作野生生物的遮蓋物，例如作為本地鳥類的巢和庇護所。
- 它在康州，印第安納州，馬里蘭州和新澤西州被列為瀕危物種，在俄亥俄州被推測已絕跡，在賓夕法尼亞州被列為已絕跡。
- 它被美國花園俱樂部評為2012年度最佳植物。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Muhlenbergia capillaris
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Muhlenbergia capillaris
- University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Muhlenbergia capillaris
- 維基百科: 粉黛亂子草
Plants Posts 植物的帖子