Agrostis hendersonii
Henderson's bent grass, Henderson's bent grass, Henderson's bent grass
(c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 3.2
Agrostis hendersonii (Henderson's bent grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by annual habit, vernal pool habitat, very long glumes, and long bent awns.
Henderson's bent grass is a California native annual found in the central valley, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Sacramento Valley, and northern San Joaquin Valley in vernal pool habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to July, this delicate grass produces small pale green to whitish flowers in dense, cylindric inflorescences up to 5 centimeters long. Growing 6 to 70 centimeters tall with slender, ascending stems, it forms compact clusters in seasonal wetland environments. Its leaves have narrow blades 1 to 4 centimeters long, approximately 1 millimeter wide, and distinctively feature ligules 1 to 4 millimeters in length. The plant's unique flowering structures include spikelets with bent awns 8 to 10 millimeters long, arising near the middle of each delicate lemma.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; key features are annual habit, vernal pool habitat, very long glumes, and long bent awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Marin, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, Calaveras, Merced
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Agrostis hendersonii blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 3.2
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 hendersonii native to California?
Yes. Agrostis hendersonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Agrostis hendersonii bloom?
Agrostis hendersonii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Agrostis hendersonii grow?
Agrostis hendersonii occurs in Marin, Butte, Tehama, Shasta, Calaveras, Merced, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Agrostis hendersonii belong to?
Agrostis hendersonii is in the Poaceae family, genus Agrostis.
Is Agrostis hendersonii rare or endangered?
Agrostis hendersonii carries California Rare Plant Rank 3.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.