Aristida purpurea var. wrightii
Wright three-awn
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Aristida purpurea var. wrightii (Wright three-awn) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family.
Wright three-awn is a California native perennial found in the Peninsular Ranges and Colorado Desert on sandy to rocky slopes, plains, and shrublands at elevations of 200 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from February to November, this plant produces tan to brown spikelets with delicate, stiff awns 20 to 35 millimeters long. Growing with erect to ascending stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it forms clumps with flat to inrolled leaves. Its leaves are slender and cauline, spreading across sandy terrain with distinctive three-pronged awns emerging from each spikelet. The plant's intricate awns and open branching structure make it a characteristic grass of arid southwestern California landscapes.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy to rocky slopes, plains, shrubland
Elevation: 200-1300 m
Outside California: to southern Utah, Oklahoma, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Aristida purpurea var. wrightii blooms Feb-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Muhlenbergia: Aristida always has three awns per seed; Muhlenbergia has one awn or none.; vs Hilaria: Aristida has three awns on each spikelet; Hilaria has spikelets grouped in threes with single awns.; vs Bromus: Aristida's three thin straight awns are unmistakable; Bromus has single awns and papery seed coverings.; vs Schismus: Aristida has three long awns per seed; Schismus is a tiny annual with no awns at all.; vs Stipa: Aristida has three straight awns; Stipa has one twisted, bent awn.
Frequently asked questions
Is Aristida purpurea var. wrightii native to California?
Yes. Aristida purpurea var. wrightii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Aristida purpurea var. wrightii bloom?
Aristida purpurea var. wrightii blooms Feb-Nov.
What plant family does Aristida purpurea var. wrightii belong to?
Aristida purpurea var. wrightii is in the Poaceae family, genus Aristida.
What habitat does Aristida purpurea var. wrightii grow in?
Aristida purpurea var. wrightii grows in Sandy to rocky slopes, plains, shrubland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Aristida sp. — Three-awn
- Aristida ternipes var. gentilis — Hook three-awn
- Aristida adscensionis — Sixweeks three-awn
- Aristida californica — California three-awn
- Aristida dichotoma — Churchmouse three-awn
- Aristida divaricata — Poverty three-awn
- Arrhenatherum elatius — Tall oat grass
- Arrhenatherum sp. — Oat grass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.