Andropogon virginicus var. virginicus

Broomsedge bluestem

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Broomsedge bluestem is a naturalized perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, California Reserve Forests, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, northern Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area in moist, open, disturbed areas and seeps at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from September to January, this grass produces tan to golden-brown spikelets with distinctive hairy calluses. Growing with tall stems 50 to 200 centimeters high, it forms dense, compact clusters of grass blades. Its lower leaf blades are 10 to 50 centimeters long and 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide, creating a wispy, delicate appearance. The spikelets are 3.5 to 4 millimeters long, with callus hairs 1 to 2.5 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Moist, open, disturbed areas, seeps

Bloom period: Sep-Jan

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, CaRF, n&ampc SNF, n SNH, ScV, SnFrB

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