Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum
Annual vernal grass, Annual Vernal Grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum (Annual vernal grass) is a non-native California annual in the Poaceae family, recognized by annual habit vs perennial congeners.
Annual vernal grass is a naturalized annual grass found in northwestern California, central Coast Ranges, and San Francisco Bay Area in moist to dry disturbed sites at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from May to June, this grass produces pale green to yellow-green flower clusters in compact spikes 1 to 4 centimeters long. Growing with stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall that are often bent at the base, it has a delicate, spreading form. Its leaves are soft and hairy, with blades 1 to 6 centimeters long and 1 to 5 millimeters wide, featuring distinctive ciliate edges and small auricles near the leaf base. The grass produces spikelets with brown-based hairs and awns 3 to 10 millimeters long, giving it a soft, feathery appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by annual habit vs perennial congeners
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist to dry disturbed sites
Elevation: < 200 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, central and eastern United States, native to Europe
Bloom period
Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Phalaris: Anthoxanthum spikelets have 2 awned sterile lemmas flanking a smaller fertile floret and smell sweet (coumarin) when dried; Phalaris (canary grass) has laterally flattened spikelets with scale-like sterile lemmas and no awns.; vs Alopecurus: Anthoxanthum's panicle is open to spike-like with 2-glumed awned spikelets; Alopecurus (foxtail) has a dense cylindric spike of 1-flowered spikelets with a single bent awn.; vs Phleum: Anthoxanthum spikelets are awned in a loose to spike-like head; Phleum (timothy) has a very dense, stiff cylindric spike of flat spikelets with short-awned glumes.; vs Holcus: Anthoxanthum is sweet-scented with awned sterile lemmas; Holcus (velvet grass) is softly velvety-hairy with a pale purple-tinged panicle and only a short hooked awn.; vs Agrostis: Anthoxanthum has conspicuous 2 sterile awned lemmas per spikelet; Agrostis (bentgrass) has tiny 1-flowered, essentially awnless spikelets in a diffuse open panicle.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum native to California?
No. Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum bloom?
Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum blooms May-Jun.
What plant family does Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum belong to?
Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum is in the Poaceae family, genus Anthoxanthum.
What habitat does Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum grow in?
Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. aristatum grows in Moist to dry disturbed sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.