Muhlenbergia filipes
Encyclopedia
Muhlenbergia filipes, gulf hairawn muhly or sweetgrass, and syn. Muhlenbergia capillaris , is a species of grass in the Poaceae
family. It is native to the Southeastern United States
.
Indians, sweetgrass was the most commonly used material for basket weaving. These baskets were often sold in tourist gift shops. In recent years, sweetgrass is becoming harder to find in South Florida. It is now only harvested during certain times of the year and in just a few locations.
, where it has been used for Basket weaving
. African American
s from the Gullah
tradition in the South Carolina Lowcountry
still weave artistic baskets using this native grass.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
family. It is native to the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
Seminole Basketry
Among Florida's SeminoleSeminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
Indians, sweetgrass was the most commonly used material for basket weaving. These baskets were often sold in tourist gift shops. In recent years, sweetgrass is becoming harder to find in South Florida. It is now only harvested during certain times of the year and in just a few locations.
African American arts
This grass has historical importance in South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, where it has been used for Basket weaving
Basket weaving
Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
. African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s from the Gullah
Gullah
The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands....
tradition in the South Carolina Lowcountry
South Carolina Lowcountry
The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region located along South Carolina's coast. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
still weave artistic baskets using this native grass.