Agrostis elliottiana
Sierra bent grass, Sierra Bent Grass
(c) Ryan Sorrells, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Agrostis elliottiana (Sierra bent grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by annual habit, vernal pool habitat, wavy awns, and single persistent anther.
Sierra bent grass is a California native annual grass found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and northern Sacramento Valley in vernal pool margins at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to May, this delicate grass produces small, pale green to whitish spikelets in an open, spreading panicle 5 to 20 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 5 to 45 centimeters tall, it forms loose, thread-like branches with spikelets clustered near the branch tips. Its narrow leaves are 0.5 to 4 centimeters long, less than 1 millimeter wide, and range from flat to slightly rolled. The plant features distinctive wavy awns 3 to 10 millimeters long emerging near the tip of each lemma, creating a delicate, feathery appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; key features are annual habit, vernal pool habitat, wavy awns, and single persistent anther
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pool margins
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: Calaveras, Napa, Sonoma, Shasta, Placer, Butte, Amador, Tehama, Sacramento, Tuolumne
Outside California: to New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, eastern United States, Mexico
Bloom period
Agrostis elliottiana blooms Apr-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Oloptum: Oloptum has prominent bent awns; Agrostis awns are tiny or absent.; vs Holcus: Holcus has velvety-hairy spikelets; Agrostis spikelets are smooth and glossy.; vs Polypogon: Polypogon has dense bristly panicles; Agrostis panicles are airy and delicate.; vs Poa: Poa has boat-shaped lemmas with 5 veins; Agrostis lemmas are rounded with faint veins.; vs Festuca: Festuca has multiple flowers per spikelet; Agrostis has single-flowered spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Agrostis elliottiana native to California?
Yes. Agrostis elliottiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Agrostis elliottiana bloom?
Agrostis elliottiana blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Agrostis elliottiana grow?
Agrostis elliottiana occurs in Calaveras, Napa, Sonoma, Shasta, Placer, Butte, Amador, Tehama and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Agrostis elliottiana belong to?
Agrostis elliottiana is in the Poaceae family, genus Agrostis.
What habitat does Agrostis elliottiana grow in?
Agrostis elliottiana grows in Vernal pool margins.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.