Bothriochloa ischaemum
King ranch bluestem, King Ranch Bluestem
(c) Emily Geest, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Bothriochloa ischaemum (King ranch bluestem) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by waif species in CaRF.
King ranch bluestem is a naturalized perennial grass found in the Shasta County area of northern California in disturbed areas at elevations around 1,000 meters. Flowering from February to September, this grass produces pale reddish to purple-tinged flower branches 4 to 8 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall, it has primarily basal leaves with blades 5 to 20 centimeters long. Its leaves are generally concentrated near the base of the plant, with a distinctive narrow membranous groove along the stem axis. The plant's small spikelets are sessile, measuring 3 to 4.5 millimeters long, with lemma awns 1 to 1.5 centimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; waif species in CaRF
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: +- 1000 m.
California counties: Riverside, Shasta
Outside California: to Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, native to southern Europe, Asia
Bloom period
Bothriochloa ischaemum blooms Feb-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Sorghum: Bothriochloa has branched, finger-like clusters; Sorghum has a dense, compact seed head.; vs Hyparrhenia: Bothriochloa stalks have translucent grooves; Hyparrhenia stalks are smooth without grooves.; vs Heteropogon: Bothriochloa has branched flower clusters; Heteropogon has one simple, unbranched spike.; vs Andropogon: Bothriochloa has paired spikelets at nodes; Andropogon has single spikelets with hairy bristles.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bothriochloa ischaemum native to California?
No. Bothriochloa ischaemum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bothriochloa ischaemum bloom?
Bothriochloa ischaemum blooms Feb-Sep.
Where in California does Bothriochloa ischaemum grow?
Bothriochloa ischaemum occurs in Riverside, Shasta, at elevations of +- 1000 m..
What plant family does Bothriochloa ischaemum belong to?
Bothriochloa ischaemum is in the Poaceae family, genus Bothriochloa.
What habitat does Bothriochloa ischaemum grow in?
Bothriochloa ischaemum grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.