Agrostis lacuna-vernalis

Vernal pool bent grass, Vernal Pool Bent Grass, vernal pool bent grass, vernal pool bent grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Vernal pool bent grass is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in central Coast Ranges (Monterey County) in vernal pools at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate pale green to white flowers in small, dense inflorescences up to 7.5 centimeters long. Growing 1.5 to 30 centimeters tall with slender, delicate stems, it forms compact, fine-textured clusters in seasonal wetland habitats. Its leaves are narrow, ranging from 1.4 to 11 centimeters long and 0.3 to 1.5 millimeters wide, typically flat or loosely rolled with a short ligule 1.2 to 1.7 millimeters long. The plant's small spikelets feature smooth glumes with acute tips and glabrous lemmas, creating a subtle, intricate grass structure characteristic of ephemeral vernal pool environments.

Habitat: Vernal pools

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: c CCo (Ft. Ord, Monterey Co.).

California counties: Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.