Calamagrostis koelerioides
Dense-pine reed grass, Dense-Pine Reed Grass
(c) James C. Davis, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Calamagrostis koelerioides (Dense-pine reed grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by dense narrow inflorescence with short appressed branches and included awns.
Dense-pine reed grass is a California native perennial found in northwestern, central western, and Peninsular Ranges in meadows, slopes, dry hills, and ridges at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces delicate pale greenish-white flowers in dense clusters 5 to 16 centimeters long. Growing with clustered stems 60 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms compact tufts with short, stout rhizomes. Its leaf blades are 3 to 7 millimeters wide, flat or slightly rolled, with slightly rough surfaces and a ligule 3 to 7 millimeters long. The plant's distinctive awned lemmas have a stiff, twisted awn 4 to 5.5 millimeters long, nearly equal to the glume tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; key feature is dense narrow inflorescence with short appressed branches and included awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, slopes, dry hills, ridges
Elevation: < 2300 m
California counties: Orange, San Diego, Butte, Glenn, Humboldt, Marin, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Trinity, Shasta, Del Norte, Monterey, Riverside, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Napa, Santa Cruz, Lake, Alameda, Tehama
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
Bloom period
Calamagrostis koelerioides blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Leymus: Leymus has spike-like inflorescences; Calamagrostis has open, branching panicles.; vs Koeleria: Koeleria has dense spike-like panicles; Calamagrostis panicles are loose and open.; vs Holcus: Holcus has velvety-hairy spikelets; Calamagrostis has silky basal hairs only.; vs Muhlenbergia: Calamagrostis spikelets are 2-4mm with awns; Muhlenbergia often larger without prominent awns.; vs Spinifex: Spinifex forms spiny seed heads on beaches; Calamagrostis has soft panicles in mountains.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calamagrostis koelerioides native to California?
Yes. Calamagrostis koelerioides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calamagrostis koelerioides bloom?
Calamagrostis koelerioides blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Calamagrostis koelerioides grow?
Calamagrostis koelerioides occurs in Orange, San Diego, Butte, Glenn, Humboldt, Marin, Plumas, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 2300 m.
What plant family does Calamagrostis koelerioides belong to?
Calamagrostis koelerioides is in the Poaceae family, genus Calamagrostis.
What habitat does Calamagrostis koelerioides grow in?
Calamagrostis koelerioides grows in Meadows, slopes, dry hills, ridges.
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.