Calamagrostis foliosa

Leafy reed grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Leafy reed grass is a California native perennial found in the Northern Coast, Klamath Ranges, and Northern Coast Ranges in coastal scrub, forest, and rocky habitats at elevations up to 1,250 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces dense, narrow inflorescences with delicate, pale golden-green spikelets 8 to 10 millimeters long. Growing in tufted clumps 30 to 60 centimeters tall with 2 to 3 nodes, it forms dense, compact clusters with wiry stems. Its mostly basal leaves are thin and inrolled, approximately 1 to 2 millimeters wide, with a scabrous upper surface and a ligule 4 to 6 millimeters long. The grass has a distinctive awn 12 to 15 millimeters long, which extends beyond the glume tips and appears bent and twisted.

Habitat: Coastal scrub, forest, rock outcrops, crevices, cliffs

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 1250 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, NCoRO.

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte

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